Post-Doctoral Research Visit F/M Game-theoretic modeling and analysis of carbon-emission constrained mobile networks deployment and management

Context
Within the framework of
French National Research Agency (ANR) project CUTS (Carbon-conscious Usage and infrastructure for Traffic Sufficiency)
A large number of mobile network operators have set a net-zero target for 2050, with some aiming for 2040. According to the prominent French environmental think tank The Shift Project [1], achieving these targets will require addressing the issue of
sobriety
(i.e., sufficiency in resource use): pursuing net zero requires designing network deployment policies that are compatible with physical constraints, while also considering the need to limit certain uses.
In this context, drawing on network economics modelling and analysis [2], we will address the challenge of designing pricing and regulatory mechanisms to contain the intensity of mobile network usage, ensuring that traffic demand remains compatible with the capacity constraints of the mobile infrastructure. We will investigate the competitive framework and the effects of non-cooperation among actors, with the aim of developing novel modelling and analytical techniques and identifying effective strategies at the intersection of applied mathematics, economics, networking, and game theory. More specifically, we will examine how competition and non-cooperation affect the effectiveness of various policies designed to limit mobile traffic volumes.
A first category of solutions involves
pricing incentives
, which can target end users but may be even more effective when directed at content and application providers. Dynamic pricing schemes could be applied through interconnection agreements and in-network content delivery network (CDN) pricing. These schemes could draw on congestion-based pricing mechanisms developed in telecommunications [3], that offer various ways to smooth demand, thereby reducing pressure on network infrastructure and potentially alleviating peak traffic loads, reducing the need for capacity expansion and lowering energy consumption. Pricing could therefore be linked to the level of network congestion. Initial research along these lines has been presented in [4], which provides quantitative insights into how regulators and service providers can balance economic incentives with climate-driven sustainability objectives in future mobile networks.
A second category of solutions involves
managing semi-elastic traffic
, such as video streaming, according to network congestion or other sustainability-related criteria. The idea is to adapt service quality while leaving unaffected traffic whose volume cannot readily be reduced without completely blocking the service. Another avenue worth exploring is the design of service plans that offer higher performance and quality during off-peak periods, with quality automatically reduced during peak periods.
A third category of solutions concerns the
regulation of the attention economy
. The business models of the largest content providers operating over mobile networks rely heavily on capturing consumer attention, monetizing advertising space on high-audience content and application services and selling user profiling data to advertising campaign managers. These incentives encourage providers to maximize the time users spend on their services by making them highly engaging, while favoring high-revenue content, such as video, despite its substantial demands on network resources. Several regulatory approaches could be considered, including imposing limits on service usage at the user level, potentially depending on the user's age, and restricting the volume of advertising content delivered per unit of time. The effects of such measures on resource consumption and competition would then need to be systematically quantified.
Finally,
regulating infrastructure sharing
is another important avenue for investigation. This includes sharing passive and active network infrastructure, as well as frequency bands, among operators. Although regulators have already highlighted the importance of such arrangements, their impacts need to be quantified more precisely. The analysis should consider not only the potential savings in infrastructure resources and energy consumption, but also the consequences for the different stakeholders, particularly operators and end users. These effects deserve particular attention in competitive environments, where strategic interactions between operators may complicate the outcomes of infrastructure-sharing policies.
The two-years postdoc will be hosted by ERMINE team in Rennes. Ermine designs and analyzes procedures and policies for efficiently managing network operations, but also works on the required measurement and monitoring of performance metrics.
Contacts:
bruno.tuffin@inria.fr
,
patrick.maille@imt.fr
References:
[1] The Shift Project (2024). Stratégie pour des réseaux numériques sobres et résilients: Rapport final. Retrieved from
https://theshiftproject.org/app/uploads/2025/01/The-Shift-Project-Strategie-pour-des-reseaux-numeriques-sobres-et-resilients-Rapport-final-2024.pdf
[2] P. Maille and B. Tuffin.
Telecommunication Network Economics: From Theory to Applications
. Cambridge University Press, 2014.
[3] B. Tuffin. Charging the Internet without bandwidth reservation: an overview and bibliography of mathematical approaches. Journal of Information Science and Engineering, 19(5) :765–786, 2003.
[4] J. Altmann, P . Maillé, B. Tuffin. Carbon Emission-Based Network Capacity Planning and Pricing. ⟨hal-05391836⟩. In the
Proceedings of NETGCOOP 2026
, Palermo, Italy, Oct. 2026.
[5] S. Andrés Azcoitia, S. Illescas Cabiró, Z. Frías, A framework to incentivise green networks and infrastructure in the 6G mobile ecosystem,
Telecommunications Policy,
Volume 50, Issue 6, 2026
Assignment
Collaboration :
With the CUTS project, the recruited person will be in connection with Orange Labs, CNRS-LORIA and Montimage.
Main activities
Main activities:
Modeling and analysis of carbon emission-constrained networks
Write reports and papers
Skills
The candidate should hold a PhD in Computer Science ir Applied Mathematics. A background in modeling and performance evaluation of computer networks and a knowledge of game theory is more than expected.
Good scripting and coding skills.
Good writing and communication skills.
Autonomous and team working capabilities.