Performance evaluation of 5G access technologies and SDN transport network on an NS3 simulator

In this article, we deal with the enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) service class, defined within the new 5G communication paradigm, to evaluate the impact of the transition from 4G to 5G access technology on the Radio Access Network and on the Transport Network. Simulation results are obtained with ns3 and performance analyses are focused on 6 GHz radio scenarios for the Radio Access Network, where an Non-Standalone 5G configuration has been assumed, and on SDN-based scenarios for the Transport Network. Inspired by the 5G Transformer model, we describe and simulate each single element of the three main functional plains of the proposed architecture to aim a preliminary evaluation of the end-to-end system performances

Survey on 5G Second Phase RAN Architectures and Functional Splits

The Radio Access Network (RAN) architecture evolves with different generations of mobile communication technologies and forms an indispensable component of the mobile network architecture. The main component of the RAN infrastructure is the base station, which includes a Radio Frequency unit and a baseband unit. The RAN is a collection of base stations connected to the core network to provide coverage through one or more radio access technologies. The advancement towards cloud native networks has led to centralizing the baseband processing of radio signals. There is a trade-off between the advantages of RAN centralization (energy efficiency, power cost reduction, and the cost of the fronthaul) and the complexity of carrying traffic between the data processing unit and distributed antennas. 5G networks hold high potential for adopting the centralized architecture to reduce maintenance costs while reducing deployment costs and improving resilience, reliability, and coordination. Incorporating the concept of virtualization and centralized RAN architecture enables to meet the overall requirements for both the customer and Mobile Network Operator. Functional splitting is one of the key enablers for 5G networks. It supports Centralized RAN, virtualized Radio Access Network, and the recent Open Radio Access Networks. This survey provides a comprehensive tutorial on the paradigms of the RAN architecture evolution, its key features, and implementation challenges. It provides a thorough review of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project functional splitting complemented by associated challenges and potential solutions. The survey also presents an overview of the fronthaul and its requirements and possible solutions for implementation, algorithms, and required tools whilst providing a vision of the evaluation beyond 5G second phase.info:eu-repo/semantics/submittedVersio

Timing Management in 5G and Its Implications for Location Privacy

The fifth generation (5G) technological leap has arrived, bringing with it promises of incredible data rates and never before seen precision in location accuracy. However this self-same precision carries with it the significant question: how will it be protected? These questions form the underlying motivation for this article where we examine 5G architecture which employs a radio access part commonly termed a cloud or centralized radio access network (C-RAN). The C-RAN centralizes higher-level physical layer processes while keeping lowlevel processes distributed throughout the physical network. We show how this architecture both increases location-based privacy through improved physical-layer security, but creates new privacy concerns via the extension of the radio access network through fronthauls connecting data transfer among low and high-level processing. Concurrently, the proposed 5G variable subcarrier spacing further exacerbates the former point. Through simulation we quantify the decrease in location privacy given the aforementioned considerations. It is shown that location privacy is inversely proportional to subcarrier spacing for user equipment (UE) connected to multiple 5G access points. Specifically, for a (UE) using the widest allowable subcarrier spacing location privacy drops to approximately three meters