Modelling, Dimensioning and Optimization of 5G Communication Networks, Resources and Services

This reprint aims to collect state-of-the-art research contributions that address challenges in the emerging 5G networks design, dimensioning and optimization. Designing, dimensioning and optimization of communication networks resources and services have been an inseparable part of telecom network development. The latter must convey a large volume of traffic, providing service to traffic streams with highly differentiated requirements in terms of bit-rate and service time, required quality of service and quality of experience parameters. Such a communication infrastructure presents many important challenges, such as the study of necessary multi-layer cooperation, new protocols, performance evaluation of different network parts, low layer network design, network management and security issues, and new technologies in general, which will be discussed in this book

Joint Design of Wireless Fronthaul and Access Links in Massive MIMO CRANs

Cloud radio access network (CRAN) has emerged as a promising mobile network architecture for the current 5th generation (5G) and beyond networks. This thesis focuses on novel architectures and optimization approaches for CRAN systems with massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) enabled in the wireless fronthaul link. In particular, we propose a joint design of wireless fronthaul and access links for CRANs and aim to maximize the network spectral efficiency (SE) and energy efficiency (EE). Regarding downlink transmission in massive MIMO CRANs, the precoding designs of the access link are optimized by accounting for both perfect instantaneous channel state information (CSI) and stochastic CSI of the access link separately. The system design adopts a decompress-and-forward (DCF) scheme at the remote radio heads (RRHs), with optimization of the multivariate compression covariance noise. Constrained by the maximum power budgets set for the central unit (CU) and RRHs, we aim to maximize the network sum-rate and minimize the total transmit power for all user equipments (UEs). Moreover, we present a separate optimization design and compare its performance, feasibility, and computational efficiency with the proposed joint design. Considering the uplink transmission, we utilize a compress-and-forward (CF) scheme at the RRHs. Assuming that perfect CSI is available at the CU, our objective is to optimize the precoding matrix of the access link while adopting conventional precoding methods for the fronthaul link. This thesis also proposes an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-enabled CRAN architecture with a massive MIMO CU as a supplement system to the terrestrial communication networks. The locations of UAVs are optimized along with compression noise, precoding matrices, and transmit power. To tackle the non-convex optimization problems described above, we employ efficient iterative algorithms and conduct a thorough exploration of practical simulations, yielding promising results that outperform benchmark schemes. In summary, this thesis explores future wireless CRAN architectures, leveraging promising technologies including massive MIMO and UAV-enabled communications. Furthermore, this work presents comprehensive optimization designs aimed at further enhancing the network efficiency

Routing optimization algorithms in integrated fronthaul/backhaul networks supporting multitenancy

Mención Internacional en el título de doctorEsta tesis pretende ayudar en la definición y el diseño de la quinta generación de redes de telecomunicaciones (5G) a través del modelado matemático de las diferentes cualidades que las caracterizan. En general, la ambición de estos modelos es realizar una optimización de las redes, ensalzando sus capacidades recientemente adquiridas para mejorar la eficiencia de los futuros despliegues tanto para los usuarios como para los operadores. El periodo de realización de esta tesis se corresponde con el periodo de investigación y definición de las redes 5G, y, por lo tanto, en paralelo y en el contexto de varios proyectos europeos del programa H2020. Por lo tanto, las diferentes partes del trabajo presentado en este documento cuadran y ofrecen una solución a diferentes retos que han ido apareciendo durante la definición del 5G y dentro del ámbito de estos proyectos, considerando los comentarios y problemas desde el punto de vista de todos los usuarios finales, operadores y proveedores. Así, el primer reto a considerar se centra en el núcleo de la red, en particular en cómo integrar tráfico fronthaul y backhaul en el mismo estrato de transporte. La solución propuesta es un marco de optimización para el enrutado y la colocación de recursos que ha sido desarrollado teniendo en cuenta restricciones de retardo, capacidad y caminos, maximizando el grado de despliegue de Unidades Distribuidas (DU) mientras se minimizan los agregados de las Unidades Centrales (CU) que las soportan. El marco y los algoritmos heurísticos desarrollados (para reducir la complexidad computacional) son validados y aplicados a redes tanto a pequeña como a gran (nivel de producción) escala. Esto los hace útiles para los operadores de redes tanto para la planificación de la red como para el ajuste dinámico de las operaciones de red en su infraestructura (virtualizada). Moviéndonos más cerca de los usuarios, el segundo reto considerado se centra en la colocación de servicios en entornos de nube y borde (cloud/edge). En particular, el problema considerado consiste en seleccionar la mejor localización para cada función de red virtual (VNF) que compone un servicio en entornos de robots en la nube, que implica restricciones estrictas en las cotas de retardo y fiabilidad. Los robots, vehículos y otros dispositivos finales proveen competencias significativas como impulsores, sensores y computación local que son esenciales para algunos servicios. Por contra, estos dispositivos están en continuo movimiento y pueden perder la conexión con la red o quedarse sin batería, cosa que reta aún más la entrega de servicios en este entorno dinámico. Así, el análisis realizado y la solución propuesta abordan las restricciones de movilidad y batería. Además, también se necesita tener en cuenta los aspectos temporales y los objetivos conflictivos de fiabilidad y baja latencia en el despliegue de servicios en una red volátil, donde los nodos de cómputo móviles actúan como una extensión de la infraestructura de cómputo de la nube y el borde. El problema se formula como un problema de optimización para colocación de VNFs minimizando el coste y también se propone un heurístico eficiente. Los algoritmos son evaluados de forma extensiva desde varios aspectos por simulación en escenarios que reflejan la realidad de forma detallada. Finalmente, el último reto analizado se centra en dar soporte a servicios basados en el borde, en particular, aprendizaje automático (ML) en escenarios del Internet de las Cosas (IoT) distribuidos. El enfoque tradicional al ML distribuido se centra en adaptar los algoritmos de aprendizaje a la red, por ejemplo, reduciendo las actualizaciones para frenar la sobrecarga. Las redes basadas en el borde inteligente, en cambio, hacen posible seguir un enfoque opuesto, es decir, definir la topología de red lógica alrededor de la tarea de aprendizaje a realizar, para así alcanzar el resultado de aprendizaje deseado. La solución propuesta incluye un modelo de sistema que captura dichos aspectos en el contexto de ML supervisado, teniendo en cuenta tanto nodos de aprendizaje (que realizan las computaciones) como nodos de información (que proveen datos). El problema se formula para seleccionar (i) qué nodos de aprendizaje e información deben cooperar para completar la tarea de aprendizaje, y (ii) el número de iteraciones a realizar, para minimizar el coste de aprendizaje mientras se garantizan los objetivos de error predictivo y tiempo de ejecución. La solución también incluye un algoritmo heurístico que es evaluado ensalzando una topología de red real y considerando tanto las tareas de clasificación como de regresión, y cuya solución se acerca mucho al óptimo, superando las soluciones alternativas encontradas en la literatura.This thesis aims to help in the definition and design of the 5th generation of telecommunications networks (5G) by modelling the different features that characterize them through several mathematical models. Overall, the aim of these models is to perform a wide optimization of the network elements, leveraging their newly-acquired capabilities in order to improve the efficiency of the future deployments both for the users and the operators. The timeline of this thesis corresponds to the timeline of the research and definition of 5G networks, and thus in parallel and in the context of several European H2020 programs. Hence, the different parts of the work presented in this document match and provide a solution to different challenges that have been appearing during the definition of 5G and within the scope of those projects, considering the feedback and problems from the point of view of all the end users, operators and providers. Thus, the first challenge to be considered focuses on the core network, in particular on how to integrate fronthaul and backhaul traffic over the same transport stratum. The solution proposed is an optimization framework for routing and resource placement that has been developed taking into account delay, capacity and path constraints, maximizing the degree of Distributed Unit (DU) deployment while minimizing the supporting Central Unit (CU) pools. The framework and the developed heuristics (to reduce the computational complexity) are validated and applied to both small and largescale (production-level) networks. They can be useful to network operators for both network planning as well as network operation adjusting their (virtualized) infrastructure dynamically. Moving closer to the user side, the second challenge considered focuses on the allocation of services in cloud/edge environments. In particular, the problem tackled consists of selecting the best the location of each Virtual Network Function (VNF) that compose a service in cloud robotics environments, that imply strict delay bounds and reliability constraints. Robots, vehicles and other end-devices provide significant capabilities such as actuators, sensors and local computation which are essential for some services. On the negative side, these devices are continuously on the move and might lose network connection or run out of battery, which further challenge service delivery in this dynamic environment. Thus, the performed analysis and proposed solution tackle the mobility and battery restrictions. We further need to account for the temporal aspects and conflicting goals of reliable, low latency service deployment over a volatile network, where mobile compute nodes act as an extension of the cloud and edge computing infrastructure. The problem is formulated as a cost-minimizing VNF placement optimization and an efficient heuristic is proposed. The algorithms are extensively evaluated from various aspects by simulation on detailed real-world scenarios. Finally, the last challenge analyzed focuses on supporting edge-based services, in particular, Machine Learning (ML) in distributed Internet of Things (IoT) scenarios. The traditional approach to distributed ML is to adapt learning algorithms to the network, e.g., reducing updates to curb overhead. Networks based on intelligent edge, instead, make it possible to follow the opposite approach, i.e., to define the logical network topology around the learning task to perform, so as to meet the desired learning performance. The proposed solution includes a system model that captures such aspects in the context of supervised ML, accounting for both learning nodes (that perform computations) and information nodes (that provide data). The problem is formulated to select (i) which learning and information nodes should cooperate to complete the learning task, and (ii) the number of iterations to perform, in order to minimize the learning cost while meeting the target prediction error and execution time. The solution also includes an heuristic algorithm that is evaluated leveraging a real-world network topology and considering both classification and regression tasks, and closely matches the optimum, outperforming state-of-the-art alternatives.This work has been supported by IMDEA Networks InstitutePrograma de Doctorado en Ingeniería Telemática por la Universidad Carlos III de MadridPresidente: Pablo Serrano Yáñez-Mingot.- Secretario: Andrés García Saavedra.- Vocal: Luca Valcarengh

Orchestrating datacenters and networks to facilitate the telecom cloud

In the Internet of services, information technology (IT) infrastructure providers play a critical role in making the services accessible to end-users. IT infrastructure providers host platforms and services in their datacenters (DCs). The cloud initiative has been accompanied by the introduction of new computing paradigms, such as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS), which have dramatically reduced the time and costs required to develop and deploy a service. However, transport networks become crucial to make services accessible to the user and to operate DCs. Transport networks are currently configured with big static fat pipes based on capacity over-provisioning aiming at guaranteeing traffic demand and other parameters committed in Service Level Agreement (SLA) contracts. Notwithstanding, such over-dimensioning adds high operational costs for DC operators and service providers. Therefore, new mechanisms to provide reconfiguration and adaptability of the transport network to reduce the amount of over-provisioned bandwidth are required. Although cloud-ready transport network architecture was introduced to handle the dynamic cloud and network interaction and Elastic Optical Networks (EONs) can facilitate elastic network operations, orchestration between the cloud and the interconnection network is eventually required to coordinate resources in both strata in a coherent manner. In addition, the explosion of Internet Protocol (IP)-based services requiring not only dynamic cloud and network interaction, but also additional service-specific SLA parameters and the expected benefits of Network Functions Virtualization (NFV), open the opportunity to telecom operators to exploit that cloud-ready transport network and their current infrastructure, to efficiently satisfy network requirements from the services. In the telecom cloud, a pay-per-use model can be offered to support services requiring resources from the transport network and its infrastructure. In this thesis, we study connectivity requirements from representative cloud-based services and explore connectivity models, architectures and orchestration schemes to satisfy them aiming at facilitating the telecom cloud. The main objective of this thesis is demonstrating, by means of analytical models and simulation, the viability of orchestrating DCs and networks to facilitate the telecom cloud. To achieve the main goal we first study the connectivity requirements for DC interconnection and services on a number of scenarios that require connectivity from the transport network. Specifically, we focus on studying DC federations, live-TV distribution, and 5G mobile networks. Next, we study different connectivity schemes, algorithms, and architectures aiming at satisfying those connectivity requirements. In particular, we study polling-based models for dynamic inter-DC connectivity and propose a novel notification-based connectivity scheme where inter-DC connectivity can be delegated to the network operator. Additionally, we explore virtual network topology provisioning models to support services that require service-specific SLA parameters on the telecom cloud. Finally, we focus on studying DC and network orchestration to fulfill simultaneously SLA contracts for a set of customers requiring connectivity from the transport network.En la Internet de los servicios, los proveedores de recursos relacionados con tecnologías de la información juegan un papel crítico haciéndolos accesibles a los usuarios como servicios. Dichos proveedores, hospedan plataformas y servicios en centros de datos. La oferta plataformas y servicios en la nube ha introducido nuevos paradigmas de computación tales como ofrecer la infraestructura como servicio, conocido como IaaS de sus siglas en inglés, y el software como servicio, SaaS. La disponibilidad de recursos en la nube, ha contribuido a la reducción de tiempos y costes para desarrollar y desplegar un servicio. Sin embargo, para permitir el acceso de los usuarios a los servicios así como para operar los centros de datos, las redes de transporte resultan imprescindibles. Actualmente, las redes de transporte están configuradas con conexiones estáticas y su capacidad sobredimensionada para garantizar la demanda de tráfico así como los distintos parámetros relacionados con el nivel de servicio acordado. No obstante, debido a que el exceso de capacidad en las conexiones se traduce en un elevado coste tanto para los operadores de los centros de datos como para los proveedores de servicios, son necesarios nuevos mecanismos que permitan adaptar y reconfigurar la red de forma eficiente de acuerdo a las nuevas necesidades de los servicios a los que dan soporte. A pesar de la introducción de arquitecturas que permiten la gestión de redes de transporte y su interacción con los servicios en la nube de forma dinámica, y de la irrupción de las redes ópticas elásticas, la orquestación entre la nube y la red es necesaria para coordinar de forma coherente los recursos en los distintos estratos. Además, la explosión de servicios basados el Protocolo de Internet, IP, que requieren tanto interacción dinámica con la red como parámetros particulares en los niveles de servicio además de los habituales, así como los beneficios que se esperan de la virtualización de funciones de red, representan una oportunidad para los operadores de red para explotar sus recursos y su infraestructura. La nube de operador permite ofrecer recursos del operador de red a los servicios, de forma similar a un sistema basado en pago por uso. En esta Tesis, se estudian requisitos de conectividad de servicios basados en la nube y se exploran modelos de conectividad, arquitecturas y modelos de orquestación que contribuyan a la realización de la nube de operador. El objetivo principal de esta Tesis es demostrar la viabilidad de la orquestación de centros de datos y redes para facilitar la nube de operador, mediante modelos analíticos y simulaciones. Con el fin de cumplir dicho objetivo, primero estudiamos los requisitos de conectividad para la interconexión de centros de datos y servicios en distintos escenarios que requieren conectividad en la red de transporte. En particular, nos centramos en el estudio de escenarios basados en federaciones de centros de datos, distribución de televisión en directo y la evolución de las redes móviles hacia 5G. A continuación, estudiamos distintos modelos de conectividad, algoritmos y arquitecturas para satisfacer los requisitos de conectividad. Estudiamos modelos de conectividad basados en sondeos para la interconexión de centros de datos y proponemos un modelo basado en notificaciones donde la gestión de la conectividad entre centros de datos se delega al operador de red. Estudiamos la provisión de redes virtuales para soportar en la nube de operador servicios que requieren parámetros específicos en los acuerdos de nivel de servicio además de los habituales. Finalmente, nos centramos en el estudio de la orquestación de centros de datos y redes con el objetivo de satisfacer de forma simultánea requisitos para distintos servicios.Postprint (published version

Network virtualization in next generation cellular networks

The complexity of operation and management of emerging cellular networks significantly increases, as they evolve to correspond to increasing QoS needs, data rates and diversity of offered services. Thus critical challenges appear regarding their performance. At the same time, network sustainability pushes toward the utilization of haring Radio Access Network (RAN) infrastructure between Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). This requires advanced network management techniques which have to be developed based on characteristics of these networks and traffic demands. Therefore it is necessary to provide solutions enabling the creation of logically isolated network partitions over shared physical network infrastructure. Multiple heterogeneous virtual networks should simultaneously coexist and support resource aggregation so as to appear as a single resource to serve different traffic types on demand. Hence in this thesis, we study RAN virtualization and slicing solutions destined to tackle these challenges. In the first part, we present our approach to map virtual network elements onto radio resources of the substrate physical network, in a dense multi-tier LTE-A scenario owned by a MNO. We propose a virtualization solution at BS level, where baseband modules of distributed BSs, interconnected via logical point-to-point X2 interface, cooperate to reallocate radio resources on a traffic need basis. Our proposal enhances system performance by achieving 53% throughput gain compared with benchmark schemes without substantial signaling overhead. In the second part of the thesis, we concentrate on facilitating resource provisioning between multiple Virtual MNOs (MVNOs), by integrating the capacity broker in the 3GPP network management architecture with minimum set of enhancements. A MNO owns the network and provides RAN access on demand to several MVNOs. Furthermore we propose an algorithm for on-demand resource allocation considering two types of traffic. Our proposal achieves 50% more admitted requests without Service Level Agreement (SLA) violation compared with benchmark schemes. In the third part, we devise and study a solution for BS agnostic network slicing leveraging BS virtualization in a multi-tenant scenario. This scenario is composed of different traffic types (e.g., tight latency requirements and high data rate demands) along with BSs characterized by different access and transport capabilities (i.e., Remote Radio Heads, RRHs, Small Cells, SCs and future 5G NodeBs, gNBs with various functional splits having ideal and non-ideal transport network). Our solution achieves 67% average spectrum usage gain and 16.6% Baseband Unit processing load reduction compared with baseline scenarios. Finally, we conclude the thesis by providing insightful research challenges for future works.La complejidad de la operación y la gestión de las emergentes redes celulares aumenta a medida que evolucionan para hacer frente a las crecientes necesidades de calidad de servicio (QoS), las tasas de datos y la diversidad de los servicios ofrecidos. De esta forma aparecen desafíos críticos con respecto a su rendimiento. Al mismo tiempo, la sostenibilidad de la red empuja hacia la utilización de la infraestructura de red de acceso radio (RAN) compartida entre operadores de redes móviles (MNO). Esto requiere técnicas avanzadas de gestión de redes que deben desarrollarse en función de las características especiales de estas redes y las demandas de tráfico. Por lo tanto, es necesario proporcionar soluciones que permitan la creación de particiones de red aisladas lógicamente sobre la infraestructura de red física compartida. Para ello, en esta tesis, estudiamos las soluciones de virtualización de la RAN destinadas a abordar estos desafíos. En la primera parte de la tesis, nos centramos en mapear elementos de red virtual en recursos de radio de la red física, en un escenario LTE-A de múltiples niveles que es propiedad de un solo MNO. Proponemos una solución de virtualización a nivel de estación base (BS), donde los módulos de banda base de BSs distribuidas, interconectadas a través de la interfaz lógica X2, cooperan para reasignar los recursos radio en función de las necesidades de tráfico. Nuestra propuesta mejora el rendimiento del sistema al obtener un rendimiento 53% en comparación con esquemas de referencia. En la segunda parte de la tesis, nos concentramos en facilitar el aprovisionamiento de recursos entre muchos operadores de redes virtuales móviles (MVNO), al integrar el capacity broker en la arquitectura de administración de red 3GPP con un conjunto míinimo de mejoras. En este escenario, un MNO es el propietario de la red y proporciona acceso bajo demanda (en inglés on-demand) a varios MVNOs. Además, para aprovechar al máximo las capacidades del capacity broker, proponemos un algoritmo para la asignación de recursos bajo demanda, considerando dos tipos de tráfico con distintas características. Nuestra propuesta alcanza 50% más de solicitudes admitidas sin violación del Acuerdo de Nivel de Servicio (SLA) en comparación con otros esquemas. En la tercera parte de la tesis, estudiamos una solución para el slicing de red independiente del tipo de BS, considerando la virtualización de BS en un escenario de múltiples MVNOs (multi-tenants). Este escenario se compone de diferentes tipos de tráfico (por ejemplo, usuarios con requisitos de latencia estrictos y usuarios con altas demandas de velocidad de datos) junto con BSs caracterizadas por diferentes capacidades de acceso y transporte (por ejemplo, Remote Radio Heads, RRHs, Small cells, SC y 5G NodeBs, gNBs con varias divisiones funcionales que tienen una red de transporte ideal y no ideal). Nuestra solución logra una ganancia promedio de uso de espectro de 67% y una reducción de la carga de procesamiento de la banda base de 16.6% en comparación con escenarios de referencia. Finalmente, concluimos la tesis al proporcionando los desafíos y retos de investigación para trabajos futuros.Postprint (published version

View on 5G Architecture: Version 2.0

The 5G Architecture Working Group as part of the 5GPPP Initiative is looking at capturing novel trends and key technological enablers for the realization of the 5G architecture. It also targets at presenting in a harmonized way the architectural concepts developed in various projects and initiatives (not limited to 5GPPP projects only) so as to provide a consolidated view on the technical directions for the architecture design in the 5G era. The first version of the white paper was released in July 2016, which captured novel trends and key technological enablers for the realization of the 5G architecture vision along with harmonized architectural concepts from 5GPPP Phase 1 projects and initiatives. Capitalizing on the architectural vision and framework set by the first version of the white paper, this Version 2.0 of the white paper presents the latest findings and analyses with a particular focus on the concept evaluations, and accordingly it presents the consolidated overall architecture design

A 5G Communication system based on flexible spectrum technology for the SKA

Faculty of Science Radio astronomy research is rapidly expanding across the African continent. At the same time, the fifth generation (5G) of mobile communication systems are also being researched and developed. Throughout history, mobile communication networks are known to affect the activities of radio astronomy. If not carefully managed, radio frequencies from mobile communication devices can severely affect radio astronomy observations. To that end, many techniques have been proposed to protect the radio astronomer from RFIs coming from radio communication networks. Some of the proposed techniques such as RFI quite zones and spectrum assignment by regulatory authorities will not be convenient during the implementation of 5G mobile networks. This is because 5G radio communication systems are expected to support spectrum-hungry application such as video-on-demand, augmented realities, high-definition television and so on. To realize this, the 5G networks will be forced to have access to protected radio spectrum, including those at which radio astronomy activities are being researched. To facilitate this, the 5G radio communication networks should have the intelligence to coexist within such protected spectrums without the consequences of radio frequency interferences (RFI) to the primary user. In this thesis, we present novel 5G networks with the intelligence that allow them to coexist within radio astronomy areas without introducing RFIs to the primary user. We proposed a photonic solution, keeping in mind the characteristic requirements for future 5G radio communication networks. The thesis begins by reviewing the current trend of radio astronomy research in Africa. It was found that radio astronomy research in Africa is growing rapidly. Many African countries such as South Africa and Ghana are at advanced stages when it comes to radio astronomy research. Therefore, the finding and proposal of this thesis will be valuable to such countries. In order to develop a radio access network (RAN) that can coexist within radio astronomy areas, the thesis reviewed past and present state-of-the-art RANs. Each access network was analyses for its feasibility to be implemented within radio astronomy areas to realize mobile communication without the consequences of RFIs to the astronomer. It was motivated that the current centralized radio access network (C-RAN) the best solution to be developed for radio communication within radio astronomy areas. This is because the C-RAN architecture is centralized by pooling network resources to a common point. From such pool, network resources can be controlled and shared among 5G network user, including radio astronomers and the surrounding communities. The next chapters reviewed photonic RF transmitters and their associated lasers currently being proposed to be used within C-RANs.Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, School of Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics and Statistics, 202

A 5G Communication system based on flexible spectrum technology for the SKA

Faculty of Science Radio astronomy research is rapidly expanding across the African continent. At the same time, the fifth generation (5G) of mobile communication systems are also being researched and developed. Throughout history, mobile communication networks are known to affect the activities of radio astronomy. If not carefully managed, radio frequencies from mobile communication devices can severely affect radio astronomy observations. To that end, many techniques have been proposed to protect the radio astronomer from RFIs coming from radio communication networks. Some of the proposed techniques such as RFI quite zones and spectrum assignment by regulatory authorities will not be convenient during the implementation of 5G mobile networks. This is because 5G radio communication systems are expected to support spectrum-hungry application such as video-on-demand, augmented realities, high-definition television and so on. To realize this, the 5G networks will be forced to have access to protected radio spectrum, including those at which radio astronomy activities are being researched. To facilitate this, the 5G radio communication networks should have the intelligence to coexist within such protected spectrums without the consequences of radio frequency interferences (RFI) to the primary user. In this thesis, we present novel 5G networks with the intelligence that allow them to coexist within radio astronomy areas without introducing RFIs to the primary user. We proposed a photonic solution, keeping in mind the characteristic requirements for future 5G radio communication networks. The thesis begins by reviewing the current trend of radio astronomy research in Africa. It was found that radio astronomy research in Africa is growing rapidly. Many African countries such as South Africa and Ghana are at advanced stages when it comes to radio astronomy research. Therefore, the finding and proposal of this thesis will be valuable to such countries. In order to develop a radio access network (RAN) that can coexist within radio astronomy areas, the thesis reviewed past and present state-of-the-art RANs. Each access network was analyses for its feasibility to be implemented within radio astronomy areas to realize mobile communication without the consequences of RFIs to the astronomer. It was motivated that the current centralized radio access network (C-RAN) the best solution to be developed for radio communication within radio astronomy areas. This is because the C-RAN architecture is centralized by pooling network resources to a common point. From such pool, network resources can be controlled and shared among 5G network user, including radio astronomers and the surrounding communities. The next chapters reviewed photonic RF transmitters and their associated lasers currently being proposed to be used within C-RANs.Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, School of Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics and Statistics, 202