ABSTRACT
Abstract With vast spectrum availability, millimeter-wave (mm-wave) communications have been recognized as a promising technology for the next generation 5G mobile broadband and have attracted considerable interest from academia, industry, and standards bodies. In this chapter, we examine the mm-wave spectra frontier, in particular, the 60-GHz band, for multigigabit-rate wireless networks from a medium access control (MAC) perspective. We discuss the technical challenges and the state-of-the-art in 60-GHz MAC protocols. We then present three case studies of 60-GHz MAC protocol design to illustrate the importance of leveraging spatial reuse while reducing MAC control overhead. This chapter concludes with a discussion of open problems.
