1,333 research outputs found
Software-defined wireless transport networks for flexible mobile backhaul in 5G systems
Traditionally microwave backhaul has been configured and operated in a static manner by means of vendor specific management systems. This mode of operation will be difficult to adapt to the new challenges originated by 5G networks. New mechanisms for adaptation and flexibility are required also in this network segment. The usage of a signaled control plane solution (based on OpenFlow) will facilitate the operation and will provide means for automation of actions on the wireless transport network segment. In addition to that, a standard control plane helps to reach the multi-vendor approach reducing complexity and variety of current per-vendor operation. This paper presents the motivation for the introduction of programmability concepts in wireless transport networks and illustrate the applicability of such control plane with two relevant use cases for dynamically controlling wireless transport nodes in 5G networks. Extensions to OpenFlow protocol are also introduced for building Software Defined Wireless Transport Networks (SDWTNs).This research was (partially) funded by the Office of the Chief Scientist of the Israel Ministry of Economy under the Neptune generic research project (the Israeli consortium for network programming). This work has been also (partially) funded by the EU H2020 Xhaul Project (grant no. 671598)
Will SDN be part of 5G?
For many, this is no longer a valid question and the case is considered
settled with SDN/NFV (Software Defined Networking/Network Function
Virtualization) providing the inevitable innovation enablers solving many
outstanding management issues regarding 5G. However, given the monumental task
of softwarization of radio access network (RAN) while 5G is just around the
corner and some companies have started unveiling their 5G equipment already,
the concern is very realistic that we may only see some point solutions
involving SDN technology instead of a fully SDN-enabled RAN. This survey paper
identifies all important obstacles in the way and looks at the state of the art
of the relevant solutions. This survey is different from the previous surveys
on SDN-based RAN as it focuses on the salient problems and discusses solutions
proposed within and outside SDN literature. Our main focus is on fronthaul,
backward compatibility, supposedly disruptive nature of SDN deployment,
business cases and monetization of SDN related upgrades, latency of general
purpose processors (GPP), and additional security vulnerabilities,
softwarization brings along to the RAN. We have also provided a summary of the
architectural developments in SDN-based RAN landscape as not all work can be
covered under the focused issues. This paper provides a comprehensive survey on
the state of the art of SDN-based RAN and clearly points out the gaps in the
technology.Comment: 33 pages, 10 figure
Will 5G See its Blind Side? Evolving 5G for Universal Internet Access
Internet has shown itself to be a catalyst for economic growth and social
equity but its potency is thwarted by the fact that the Internet is off limits
for the vast majority of human beings. Mobile phones---the fastest growing
technology in the world that now reaches around 80\% of humanity---can enable
universal Internet access if it can resolve coverage problems that have
historically plagued previous cellular architectures (2G, 3G, and 4G). These
conventional architectures have not been able to sustain universal service
provisioning since these architectures depend on having enough users per cell
for their economic viability and thus are not well suited to rural areas (which
are by definition sparsely populated). The new generation of mobile cellular
technology (5G), currently in a formative phase and expected to be finalized
around 2020, is aimed at orders of magnitude performance enhancement. 5G offers
a clean slate to network designers and can be molded into an architecture also
amenable to universal Internet provisioning. Keeping in mind the great social
benefits of democratizing Internet and connectivity, we believe that the time
is ripe for emphasizing universal Internet provisioning as an important goal on
the 5G research agenda. In this paper, we investigate the opportunities and
challenges in utilizing 5G for global access to the Internet for all (GAIA). We
have also identified the major technical issues involved in a 5G-based GAIA
solution and have set up a future research agenda by defining open research
problems
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