Distributed Learning and Multiaccess of On-Off Channels

The problem of distributed access of a set of N on-off channels by K<N users is considered. The channels are slotted and modeled as independent but not necessarily identical alternating renewal processes. Each user decides to either observe or transmit at the beginning of every slot. A transmission is successful only if the channel is at the on state and there is only one user transmitting. When a user observes, it identifies whether a transmission would have been successful had it decided to transmit. A distributed learning and access policy referred to as alternating sensing and access (ASA) is proposed. It is shown that ASA has finite expected regret when compared with the optimal centralized scheme with fixed channel allocation.