On Wireless Social Community Networks

Wireless social community networks are emerging as a new alternative to provide wireless data access in urban areas. By relying on users in the network deployment, a wireless community can rapidly deploy a high-quality data access infrastructure in an inexpensive way. But, the coverage of such a network is limited by the set of access points deployed by the users. Currently, it is not clear if this paradigm can serve as a replacement of existing centralized networks operating in licensed bands (such as cellular networks) or if it should be considered as a complimentary service only. This question currently concerns many wireless network operators. In this paper, we study the dynamics of wireless social community networks using a simple analytical model. In this model, users choose their service provider based on the subscription fee and the offered coverage. We show that the evolution of social community networks depends on their initial coverage, the subscription fee, and the user preferences for coverage. We conclude that by using an efficient static or dynamic pricing strategy, the wireless social community can obtain a high coverage. Using a game-theoretic approach, we then study a case where the mobile users can choose between the services provided by a licensed band operator and those of a social community. We show that for specific distribution of user preferences, there exists a Nash equilibrium for this non-cooperative game. Finally, we study the cooperative scenario where both infrastructures belong to one operator.

Wireless Social Community Networks: A Game-Theoretic Analysis

Mark Felegyhazi, Julien Freudiger, Jean-Pierre Hubaux, Peter Marbach

Wireless social community networks formed by users with a WiFi access point have been created as an alternative to traditional wireless networks that operate in the licensed spectrum. By relying on access points owned by users for access, wireless community networks provide a wireless infrastructure in an inexpensive way. However, the coverage of such a network is limited by the set of users who open their access points to the social community. Currently, it is not clear to what degree this paradigm can serve as a replacement, or a complimentary service, of existing centralized networks operating in licensed bands. In this paper, we study the dynamics of wireless social community networks using, as well as the situation where a wireless social community networks co-exists with a traditional wireless network operating in the licensed spectrum.

2008

Secure and Private Proofs for Location-Based Activity Summaries in Urban Areas

Igor Bilogrevic, Jean-Pierre Hubaux, Kévin Clément Huguenin, Thi Van Anh Pham

Activity-based social networks, where people upload and share information about their location-based activities (e.g., the routes of their activities), are increasingly popular. Such systems, however, raise privacy and security issues: the service providers know the exact locations of their users; the users can report fake location information to, for example, unduly brag about their performance. In this paper, we propose a secure privacy-preserving system for reporting location-based activity summaries (e.g., the total distance covered and the elevation gain). Our solution is based on a combination of cryptographic techniques and geometric algorithms, and it relies on existing Wi-Fi access point networks deployed in urban areas. We evaluate our solution by using real data-sets from the FON community networks and from the Garmin Connect activity-based social network, and show that it can achieve tight (up to a median accuracy of 79%) verifiable lower-bounds of the distance covered and of the elevation gain, while protecting the location privacy of the users with respect to both the social network operator and the access point network operator(s).

2014

SecureRun: Cheat-Proof and Private Summaries for Location-Based Activities

Igor Bilogrevic, Italo Ivan Dacosta Petrocelli, Jean-Pierre Hubaux, Kévin Clément Huguenin, Thi Van Anh Pham

Activity-tracking applications, where people record and upload information about their location-based activities (e.g., the routes of their activities), are increasingly popular. Such applications enable users to share information and compete with their friends on activity-based social networks but also, in some cases, to obtain discounts on their health insurance premiums by proving they conduct regular fitness activities. However, they raise privacy and security issues: the service providers know the exact locations of their users; the users can report fake location information, for example, to unduly brag about their performance. In this paper, we present SecureRun, a secure privacy-preserving system for reporting location-based activity summaries (e.g., the total distance covered and the elevation gain). SecureRun is based on a combination of cryptographic techniques and geometric algorithms, and it relies on existing Wi-Fi access-point networks deployed in urban areas. We evaluate SecureRun by using real data-sets from the FON hotspot community networks and from the Garmin Connect activity-based social network, and we show that it can achieve tight (up to a median accuracy of more than 80%) verifiable lower-bounds of the distance covered and of the elevation gain, while protecting the location privacy of the users with respect to both the social network operator and the access point network operator(s). The results of our online survey, targeted at RunKeeper users recruited through the Amazon Mechanical Turk platform, highlight the lack of awareness and significant concerns of the participants about the privacy and security issues of activity-tracking applications. They also show a good level of satisfaction regarding SecureRun and its performance.

Ieee Computer Soc2015