Internet Connected Open-Source based 4G MIMO and 5G NSA Systems: Prototyping and Performance

Abstract

Fifth generation (5G) mobile communication systems are currently being deployed worldwide intensively. Different from earlier generation mobile systems, 5G offers a variety of novel features to satisfy distinct requirements of diverse applications. One of the most innovative aspects of 5G is its potential openness in radio access network (RAN) protocols, allowing RAN elements to be interchangeable and be implemented using open-source software. This flexibility enables developing software solutions based on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware for facilitating specific applications. Meanwhile, open-source core networks (CNs) are available to be integrated with RAN software, empowering the softwarization of 5G or beyond 5G (B5G) systems to be completely open-source based. In this paper, we present two prototype implementations including a fourth generation (4G) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system and a 5G non-standalone (NSA) system which are connected to the global Internet. The implementations are performed using two open-source software suites for RAN and CN respectively. Based on the developed prototype systems, extensive experiments are carried out to evaluate the peformance of such networks with respect to connectivity, performance, and service satisfaction.