171 research outputs found
Open Cell-less Network Architecture and Radio Resource Management for Future Wireless Communication Systems
In recent times, the immense growth of wireless traffic data generated from massive mobile
devices, services, and applications results in an ever-increasing demand for huge
bandwidth and very low latency, with the future networks going in the direction of achieving
extreme system capacity and ultra reliable low latency communication (URLLC). Several
consortia comprising major international mobile operators, infrastructure manufacturers,
and academic institutions are working to develop and evolve the current generation
of wireless communication systems, i.e., fifth generation (5G) towards a sixth generation
(6G) to support improved data rates, reliability, and latency. Existing 5G networks are
facing the latency challenges in a high-density and high-load scenario for an URLLC network
which may coexist with enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) services. At the same
time, the evolution of mobile communications faces the important challenge of increased
network power consumption. Thus, energy efficient solutions are expected to be deployed
in the network in order to reduce power consumption while fulfilling user demands for
various user densities. Moreover, the network architecture should be dynamic according
to the new use cases and applications. Also, there are network migration challenges for
the multi-architecture coexistence networks.
Recently, the open radio access network (O-RAN) alliance was formed to evolve
RANs with its core principles being intelligence and openness. It aims to drive the mobile
industry towards an ecosystem of innovative, multi-vendor, interoperable, and autonomous
RAN, with reduced cost, improved performance and greater agility. However,
this is not standardized yet and still lacks interoperability. On the other hand, the cell-less
radio access network (RAN) was introduced to boost the system performance required for
the new services. However, the concept of cell-less RAN is still under consideration from
the deployment point of view with the legacy cellular networks. The virtualization, centralization and cooperative communication which enables the cell-less RAN can further
benefit from O-RAN based architecture.
This thesis addresses the research challenges facing 5G and beyond networks towards
6G networks in regard to new architectures, spectral efficiency, latency, and energy efficiency.
Different system models are stated according to the problem and several solution
schemes are proposed and developed to overcome these challenges. This thesis
contributes as follows. Firstly, the cell-less technology is proposed to be implemented
through an Open RAN architecture, which could be supervised with the near real-time
RAN intelligent controller (near-RT-RIC). The cooperation is enabled for intelligent and
smart resource allocation for the entire RAN. Secondly, an efficient radio resource optimization
mechanism is proposed for the cell-less architecture to improve the system
capacity of the future 6G networks. Thirdly, an optimized and novel resource scheduling
scheme is presented that reduces latency for the URLLC users in an efficient resource
utilization manner to support scenarios with high user density. At the same time, this radio
resource management (RRM) scheme, while minimizing the latency, also overcomes
another important challenge of eMBB users, namely the throughput of those who coexist
in such a highly loaded scenario with URLLC users. Fourthly, a novel energy-efficiency
enhancement scheme, i.e., (3 × E) is designed to increase the transmission rate per energy
unit, with stable performance within the cell-less RAN architecture. Our proposed
(3 × E) scheme activates two-step sleep modes (i.e., certain phase and conditional phase)
through the intelligent interference management for temporarily switching access points
(APs) to sleep, optimizing the network energy efficiency (EE) in highly loaded scenarios,
as well as in scenarios with lower load. Finally, a multi-architecture coexistence (MACO)
network model is proposed to enable inter-connection of different architectures through
coexistence and cooperation logical switches in order to enable smooth deployment of a
cell-less architecture within the legacy networks.
The research presented in this thesis therefore contributes new knowledge in the cellless
RAN architecture domain of the future generation wireless networks and makes important
contributions to this field by investigating different system models and proposing
solutions to significant issues.Programa de Doctorado en Multimedia y Comunicaciones por la Universidad Carlos III de Madrid y la Universidad Rey Juan CarlosPresidenta: Matilde Pilar Sánchez Fernández.- Secretario: Alberto Álvarez Polegre.- Vocal: José Francisco Monserrat del Rí
Optical Networks and Interconnects
The rapid evolution of communication technologies such as 5G and beyond, rely
on optical networks to support the challenging and ambitious requirements that
include both capacity and reliability. This chapter begins by giving an
overview of the evolution of optical access networks, focusing on Passive
Optical Networks (PONs). The development of the different PON standards and
requirements aiming at longer reach, higher client count and delivered
bandwidth are presented. PON virtualization is also introduced as the
flexibility enabler. Triggered by the increase of bandwidth supported by access
and aggregation network segments, core networks have also evolved, as presented
in the second part of the chapter. Scaling the physical infrastructure requires
high investment and hence, operators are considering alternatives to optimize
the use of the existing capacity. This chapter introduces different planning
problems such as Routing and Spectrum Assignment problems, placement problems
for regenerators and wavelength converters, and how to offer resilience to
different failures. An overview of control and management is also provided.
Moreover, motivated by the increasing importance of data storage and data
processing, this chapter also addresses different aspects of optical data
center interconnects. Data centers have become critical infrastructure to
operate any service. They are also forced to take advantage of optical
technology in order to keep up with the growing capacity demand and power
consumption. This chapter gives an overview of different optical data center
network architectures as well as some expected directions to improve the
resource utilization and increase the network capacity
Slice Orchestration for Multi-Service Disaggregated Ultra Dense RANs
International audienceUltra Dense Networks (UDNs) are a natural deployment evolution for handling the tremendous traffic increase related to the emerging 5G services, especially in urban environments. However, the associated infrastructure cost may become prohibitive. The evolving paradigm of network slicing can tackle such a challenge while optimizing the network resource usage, enabling multi-tenancy and facilitating resource sharing and efficient service-oriented communications. Indeed, network slicing in UDN deployments can offer the desired degree of customization in both vanilla Radio Access Network (RAN) designs, but also in the case of disaggregated multi-service RANs. In this article, we devise a novel multi-service RAN environment, i.e., RAN runtime, capable to support slice orchestration procedures and to enable flexible customization of slices as per tenant needs. Each network slice can exploit a number of services, which can either be dedicated or shared between multiple slices over a common RAN. The novel architecture we present concentrates on the orchestration and management systems. It interacts with the RAN modules, through the RAN runtime, via a number of new interfaces enabling a customized dedicated orchestration logic for each slice. We present results for a disaggregated UDN deployment where the RAN runtime is used to support slice-based multi-service chain creation and chain placement, with an auto-scaling mechanism to increase the performance
Optimization of 5G Second Phase Heterogeneous Radio Access Networks with Small Cells
Due to the exponential increase in high data-demanding applications and their services per
coverage area, it is becoming challenging for the existing cellular network to handle the massive
sum of users with their demands. It is conceded to network operators that the current
wireless network may not be capable to shelter future traffic demands. To overcome the challenges
the operators are taking interest in efficiently deploying the heterogeneous network.
Currently, 5G is in the commercialization phase. Network evolution with addition of small
cells will develop the existing wireless network with its enriched capabilities and innovative
features. Presently, the 5G global standardization has introduced the 5G New Radio (NR) under
the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). It can support a wide range of frequency
bands (<6 GHz to 100 GHz).
For different trends and verticals, 5G NR encounters, functional splitting and its cost evaluation
are well-thought-out. The aspects of network slicing to the assessment of the business
opportunities and allied standardization endeavours are illustrated. The study explores the
carrier aggregation (Pico cellular) technique for 4G to bring high spectral efficiency with the
support of small cell massification while benefiting from statistical multiplexing gain. One
has been able to obtain values for the goodput considering CA in LTE-Sim (4G), of 40 Mbps
for a cell radius of 500 m and of 29 Mbps for a cell radius of 50 m, which is 3 times higher
than without CA scenario (2.6 GHz plus 3.5 GHz frequency bands).
Heterogeneous networks have been under investigation for many years. Heterogeneous network
can improve users service quality and resource utilization compared to homogeneous
networks. Quality of service can be enhanced by putting the small cells (Femtocells or Picocells)
inside the Microcells or Macrocells coverage area. Deploying indoor Femtocells for 5G
inside the Macro cellular network can reduce the network cost. Some service providers have
started their solutions for indoor users but there are still many challenges to be addressed.
The 5G air-simulator is updated to deploy indoor Femto-cell with proposed assumptions with
uniform distribution. For all the possible combinations of apartments side length and transmitter
power, the maximum number of supported numbers surpassed the number of users
by more than two times compared to papers mentioned in the literature. Within outdoor environments,
this study also proposed small cells optimization by putting the Pico cells within
a Macro cell to obtain low latency and high data rate with the statistical multiplexing gain of
the associated users.
Results are presented 5G NR functional split six and split seven, for three frequency bands
(2.6 GHz, 3.5GHz and 5.62 GHz). Based on the analysis for shorter radius values, the best
is to select the 2.6 GHz to achieve lower PLR and to support a higher number of users, with
better goodput, and higher profit (for cell radius u to 400 m). In 4G, with CA, from the
analysis of the economic trade-off with Picocell, the Enhanced multi-band scheduler EMBS
provide higher revenue, compared to those without CA. It is clearly shown that the profit of
CA is more than 4 times than in the without CA scenario. This means that the slight increase
in the cost of CA gives back more than 4-time profit relatively to the ”without” CA scenario.Devido ao aumento exponencial de aplicações/serviços de elevado débito por unidade de
área, torna-se bastante exigente, para a rede celular existente, lidar com a enormes quantidades
de utilizadores e seus requisitos. É reconhecido que as redes móveis e sem fios atuais
podem não conseguir suportar a procura de tráfego junto dos operadores. Para responder
a estes desafios, os operadores estão-se a interessar pelo desenvolvimento de redes heterogéneas
eficientes. Atualmente, a 5G está na fase de comercialização. A evolução destas
redes concretizar-se-á com a introdução de pequenas células com aptidões melhoradas e
características inovadoras. No presente, os organismos de normalização da 5G globais introduziram
os Novos Rádios (NR) 5G no contexto do 3rd Generation Partnership Project
(3GPP). A 5G pode suportar uma gama alargada de bandas de frequência (<6 a 100 GHz).
Abordam-se as divisões funcionais e avaliam-se os seus custos para as diferentes tendências
e verticais dos NR 5G. Ilustram-se desde os aspetos de particionamento funcional da rede à
avaliação das oportunidades de negócio, aliadas aos esforços de normalização. Exploram-se
as técnicas de agregação de espetro (do inglês, CA) para pico células, em 4G, a disponibilização
de eficiência espetral, com o suporte da massificação de pequenas células, e o ganho
de multiplexagem estatística associado. Obtiveram-se valores do débito binário útil, considerando
CA no LTE-Sim (4G), de 40 e 29 Mb/s para células de raios 500 e 50 m, respetivamente,
três vezes superiores em relação ao caso sem CA (bandas de 2.6 mais 3.5 GHz).
Nas redes heterogéneas, alvo de investigação há vários anos, a qualidade de serviço e a utilização
de recursos podem ser melhoradas colocando pequenas células (femto- ou pico-células)
dentro da área de cobertura de micro- ou macro-células). O desenvolvimento de pequenas
células 5G dentro da rede com macro-células pode reduzir os custos da rede. Alguns prestadores
de serviços iniciaram as suas soluções para ambientes de interior, mas ainda existem
muitos desafios a ser ultrapassados. Atualizou-se o 5G air simulator para representar a
implantação de femto-células de interior com os pressupostos propostos e distribuição espacial
uniforme. Para todas as combinações possíveis do comprimento lado do apartamento, o
número máximo de utilizadores suportado ultrapassou o número de utilizadores suportado
(na literatura) em mais de duas vezes. Em ambientes de exterior, propuseram-se pico-células
no interior de macro-células, de forma a obter atraso extremo-a-extremo reduzido e taxa de
transmissão dados elevada, resultante do ganho de multiplexagem estatística associado.
Apresentam-se resultados para as divisões funcionais seis e sete dos NR 5G, para 2.6 GHz,
3.5GHz e 5.62 GHz. Para raios das células curtos, a melhor solução será selecionar a banda
dos 2.6 GHz para alcançar PLR (do inglês, PLR) reduzido e suportar um maior número de
utilizadores, com débito binário útil e lucro mais elevados (para raios das células até 400 m).
Em 4G, com CA, da análise do equilíbrio custos-proveitos com pico-células, o escalonamento
multi-banda EMBS (do inglês, Enhanced Multi-band Scheduler) disponibiliza proveitos superiores
em comparação com o caso sem CA. Mostra-se claramente que lucro com CA é mais
de quatro vezes superior do que no cenário sem CA, o que significa que um aumento ligeiro
no custo com CA resulta num aumento de 4-vezes no lucro relativamente ao cenário sem CA
Improved planning and resource management in next generation green mobile communication networks
In upcoming years, mobile communication networks will experience a disruptive reinventing process through the deployment of post 5th Generation (5G) mobile networks. Profound impacts are expected on network planning processes, maintenance and operations, on mobile services, subscribers with major changes in their data consumption and generation behaviours, as well as on devices itself, with a myriad of different equipment communicating over such networks. Post 5G will be characterized by a profound transformation of several aspects: processes, technology, economic, social, but also environmental aspects, with energy efficiency and carbon neutrality playing an important role. It will represent a network of networks: where different types of access networks will coexist, an increasing diversity of devices of different nature, massive cloud computing utilization and subscribers with unprecedented data-consuming behaviours. All at greater throughput and quality of service, as unseen in previous generations.
The present research work uses 5G new radio (NR) latest release as baseline for developing the research activities, with future networks post 5G NR in focus. Two approaches were followed: i) method re-engineering, to propose new mechanisms and overcome existing or predictably existing limitations and ii) concept design and innovation, to propose and present innovative methods or mechanisms to enhance and improve the design, planning, operation, maintenance and optimization of 5G networks. Four main research areas were addressed, focusing on optimization and enhancement of 5G NR future networks, the usage of edge virtualized functions, subscriber’s behavior towards the generation of data and a carbon sequestering model aiming to achieve carbon neutrality. Several contributions have been made and demonstrated, either through models of methodologies that will, on each of the research areas, provide significant improvements and enhancements from the planning phase to the operational phase, always focusing on optimizing resource management. All the contributions are retro compatible with 5G NR and can also be applied to what starts being foreseen as future mobile networks. From the subscriber’s perspective and the ultimate goal of providing the best quality of experience possible, still considering the mobile network operator’s (MNO) perspective, the different proposed or developed approaches resulted in optimization methods for the numerous problems identified throughout the work. Overall, all of such contributed individually but aggregately as a whole to improve and enhance globally future mobile networks. Therefore, an answer to the main question was provided: how to further optimize a next-generation network - developed with optimization in mind - making it even more efficient while, simultaneously, becoming neutral concerning carbon emissions. The developed model for MNOs which aimed to achieve carbon neutrality through CO2 sequestration together with the subscriber’s behaviour model - topics still not deeply focused nowadays – are two of the main contributions of this thesis and of utmost importance for post-5G networks.Nos próximos anos espera-se que as redes de comunicações móveis se reinventem para lá da 5ª Geração (5G), com impactos profundos ao nível da forma como são planeadas, mantidas e operacionalizadas, ao nível do comportamento dos subscritores de serviços móveis, e através de uma miríade de dispositivos a comunicar através das mesmas. Estas redes serão profundamente transformadoras em termos tecnológicos, económicos, sociais, mas também ambientais, sendo a eficiência energética e a neutralidade carbónica aspetos que sofrem uma profunda melhoria. Paradoxalmente, numa rede em que coexistirão diferentes tipos de redes de acesso, mais dispositivos, utilização massiva de sistema de computação em nuvem, e subscritores com comportamentos de consumo de serviços inéditos nas gerações anteriores. O trabalho desenvolvido utiliza como base a release mais recente das redes 5G NR (New Radio), sendo o principal focus as redes pós-5G. Foi adotada uma abordagem de "reengenharia de métodos” (com o objetivo de propor mecanismos para resolver limitações existentes ou previsíveis) e de “inovação e design de conceitos”, em que são apresentadas técnicas e metodologias inovadoras, com o principal objetivo de contribuir para um desenho e operação otimizadas desta geração de redes celulares.
Quatro grandes áreas de investigação foram endereçadas, contribuindo individualmente para um todo: melhorias e otimização generalizada de redes pós-5G, a utilização de virtualização de funções de rede, a análise comportamental dos subscritores no respeitante à geração e consumo de tráfego e finalmente, um modelo de sequestro de carbono com o objetivo de compensar as emissões produzidas por esse tipo de redes que se prevê ser massiva, almejando atingir a neutralidade carbónica. Como resultado deste trabalho, foram feitas e demonstradas várias contribuições, através de modelos ou metodologias, representando em cada área de investigação melhorias e otimizações, que, todas contribuindo para o mesmo objetivo, tiveram em consideração a retro compatibilidade e aplicabilidade ao que se prevê que sejam as futuras redes pós 5G.
Focando sempre na perspetiva do subscritor da melhor experiência possível, mas também no lado do operador de serviço móvel – que pretende otimizar as suas redes, reduzir custos e maximizar o nível de qualidade de serviço prestado - as diferentes abordagens que foram desenvolvidas ou propostas, tiveram como resultado a resolução ou otimização dos diferentes problemas identificados, contribuindo de forma agregada para a melhoria do sistema no seu todo, respondendo à questão principal de como otimizar ainda mais uma rede desenvolvida para ser extremamente eficiente, tornando-a, simultaneamente, neutra em termos de emissões de carbono. Das principais contribuições deste trabalho relevam-se precisamente o modelo de compensação das emissões de CO2, com vista à neutralidade carbónica e um modelo de análise comportamental dos subscritores, dois temas ainda pouco explorados e extremamente importantes em contexto de redes futuras pós-5G
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
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