Montando uma rede 5G virtualizada com o open air interface e plataformas de rádio definido por software

Abstract

The success of Internet services and the possibility of expanding telecommunication services to automation applications, which involve massive communication of low-latency and high-reliability devices, have driven the development of 5G technology. Hardware/software disaggregation, software-defined radio (SDR), and virtualization are revolutionizing the telecommunication sector by transforming the telecommunication system into a software system with virtualized functions on local servers or data centers. Several projects aim to provide open source code for simulation, emulation, or real prototyping of a complete telecommunication system, from the network core to the Radio Frequency (RF) front-end. These platforms offer researchers, developers (in industry or academia) remarkable flexibility to test, validate and develop their solutions. Among these projects, OpenAirInterface (OAI) stands out, which enables the deployment of an end-to-end communication system using computers, SDR equipment, and low-cost antennas. This course completion work aims to test the installation of the 5G network infrastructure standalone, including the network core, the RAN, the configuration of the SIM cards, and the establishment of connections with commercial smartphones. The idea is to build tutorial material for experimentation using 5G virtualized networks that can serve for research projects and active teaching initiatives. The RF front-end utilizes the Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP) software-defined radio platform, and the rest of the system is implemented on desktop computers. Validation results demonstrate the functioning of all network parts and their high capacity in transmission rate.