5G, Private Networks

and Open RAN

Marcin Dryjański, Ph.D.

Webinar
Marcin Dryjanski

Co-Founder of RIMEDO Labs

Working within 5G area since 2012

5G RAN Architect at Huawei R&D

Ph.D. on RRM, Senior IEEE Member

Consultant & Technical Trainer

Book ”From LTE to LTE-A Pro and 5G”

Outline

Mobile Wireless Systems Evolution

5G Overview

5G, Private 5G Complexity

Networks,
and
O-RAN Private Mobile Networks

From RAN to O-RAN Transition

Summary

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Mobile Wireless Systems Evolution

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Mobile Wireless Systems – Evolution

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 Mobile Wireless Systems – Evolution

Analog Digital
mobile mobile
IP
connectivity MBB
voice voice

”Simple” system
design 1G 2G 3G 4G

mMTC emMTC
URLLC eURLLC

eMBB feMBB

Complex system design rimedolabs.com

(NR, NB-IoT, LTE, Wi-Fi, Satellite, ...) 5G 6G
LTE-Advanced Pro – An ”Evolved” LTE

IoT: NB-IoT, LTE-M

Licensing: LTE-U, LAA, MuLTEfire, LSA, CBRS

More resources: Massive CA, DC

WiFi access: LWA, RCLWI, LWIP

Resource allocation flexibility: eIMTA, short TTI

Direct connectivity: V2X, D2D, ProSe

...

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5G Overview

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5G Standards - Roadmap

All ITU-Requirements, URLLC, mMTC, V2X, Significant step forward, eMBB vs non-
Defining requirements unlincensed, satellite… eMBB vs cross functional

3GPP Release 14 3GPP Release 15 3GPP Release 16

3GPP Release 17 3GPP Release 18
initial 5G studies 5G phase 1 5G phase 2

Freeze: 03.2017 Freeze: 06.2019 Freeze: 07.2020 Freeze: 06.2022 Freeze: End of 2023(?)

Most immediate needs, eMBB, 5G improvements, NTA, Higher

initial URLLC, freq < 52.6GHz frequency, IAB

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5G Spectrum, Services and Techniques
mmWave, MMIMO
Bands
Flexible numerology

Sub-6GHz Super-6GHz f
(below 1GHz & (from 24GHz Data-rates & CP/UP split, Slicing, CRAN
above 1GHz) up to 86GHz)
capacity
Unlicensed, Satellite access

Licensing
D2D, V2X

LTE & NR integration options

Licensed Licensed-
Shared
Unlicensed
eMBB
SON, SDN, NFV

5G

mMTC URLLC

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Connection density Latency & mobility
5G Architecture
5GC Control Plane

N6

5GC
User Plane

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5G Complexity

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5G Complexity

Naming - Architecture Dual connectivity options

EN-DC E-UTRA-NR Dual Connectivity

5GC
MR-DC Multi-RAT Dual Connectivity
NE-DC NR-E-UTRA Dual Connectivity
NG-U/NG-C (RAN) Compared to:
N2/N3 (SA2) EUTRAN NGEN-DC NG-RAN E-UTRA-NR Dual Connectivity
EUTRA
EPC
EPS
L1 parameters
Few weeks before freezing 5G NSA, RAN1 sent RAN2 ~600 L1
parameters to cover within RRC spec.
(compared to ~80 L1 parameters for LTE Rel-8)
NG-RAN & NR

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5G Complexity – How Do We Call This One?

gNB
(next generation NodeB)

but also:

en-gNB
BS BTS NB eNB
(Base Station) (Base Transceiver Station) (NodeB) (evolved NodeB)
ng-eNB

gNB-DU

lls-gNB-DU …

1G 2G 3G 4G 5G

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5G Complexity – Architecture Evolution?

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5G Complexity – HetNet

Ref.: Szydelko M., Dryjanski M. ”Spectrum Toolbox Survey: Evolution Towards 5G”,
FDD+TDD
Dynamic CA
Wi-Fi TDD
DC LWA

LAA D2D

Relay

CrownCom 2016
Heterogeneous Networks

A big challenge for Radio Resource Management of Multi-RAT/HetNet!

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Private Mobile Networks

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Mobile Networks for Enterprises - Enablers

Technology Regulation
• Dynamic / shared
spectrum access
• Private Mobile Networks
01 02 • Exclusive spectrum use
• No license
• Sharing (infrastructure,
• Multi-operator schemes spectrum)

Business
03 • Micro operators
• Private Mobile
Networks
Private Mobile Networks

Enterprise
• Optimized / tailored (QoS, latency, mobility) LTE/5G
for industrial / enterprise use case (e.g. IIoT)
• Dedicated / local network independently managed
CN • Carrier grade security and privacy
• Using licensed, license-shared or unlicensed
spectrum
Private Mobile Network
• Owned by MNO, Enterprise, Venue owner, …
Private Mobile Networks – High Level Options
Standalone Hosted by MNO

Enterprise Enterprise
MNO

CN CN

RAN sharing MNO Slice

Enterprise Enterprise
CN MNO MNO

CN CN
3GPP Rel-16 Non-Public Network

Standalone NPN Public-Network

• Operated by NPN operator Integrated NPN
(not relying on MNO) • NPN deployed with MNO
• Access to public network support
possible (as untrusted 5GC • E.g. dedicated spectrum /
NW) slice etc.
• Subscription to one or • Closed Access Group to
more NPNs for UE Non-Public Network
disallow other UEs (UE
subscription incl. CAG ID)

SNPN PNI-
NPN

own licensed, unlicensed, shared Spectrum MNO spectrum, unlicensed, shared

IT dept., Integrator, Connectivity Prov. (CP) Maintenance MNO or Integrator (selected by MNO)

responsibility of enterprise or CP SIM, UE, subscriptions responsibility of MNO

responsibility of enterprise Security E2E security MNO-based

lack of roaming Roaming regular roaming

higher CAPEX, lower OPEX Expenses lower CAPEX, higher OPEX

Private Mobile Network – Before You Decide

CN Who owns and manages the spectrum,

network assets, core network?

Private Mobile Network

Do you need licensed, shared, or

unlicensed spectrum?

What are your requirements regarding

capabilities? What needs to be dedicated?

Do you need it for single local premise,

multiple premises or wide area?

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From RAN to O-RAN Transition

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Beyond 5G – Shall We?
Will 5G evolve into an umbrella of technologies (NR + LTE + NB-IoT + …) where new features are added over time?

Or do we need next G’s…?

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NextG Approach – Where to Start?
Legacy Monolithic RANs
• Single network
• Closed interfaces
• Single vendor
• HW-based RAN
• Limited RAN-sharing
Open Networking in RAN
• Hybrid networks (integrated solutions)
• Open interfaces
• Different vendors and open initiatives
(xRAN, vRAN, C-RAN, O-RAN, TIP, …)
• RAN virtualization
• Neutral-host networks, SCaaS
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HW/SW History

1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s

• PC OS • Distributed • Open source • Cloud • Telecom

(Windows) Apps (Linux) (linux based) computing softwarization
• Emerging PCs • Standardized virtualization • Standardized
server HW • Linux based RAN HW
SDN (CoTS)
• Standardized
Switches HW

Consumer softwarization Enterprise softwarization Telecom softwarization

(drop of compute power cost for consumers) (drop of compute power cost for enterprises) (drop of compute power cost for telecom)

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 From C-RAN to O-RAN
RRU RRU RRU

RRU RRU RRU

BBU BBU BBU
Fronthaul

RRU RRU RRU

Proprietary Proprietary Proprietary CoTS server CoTS server

HW Interface HW Proprietary Proprietary with proprietary Open with proprietary
CoTS based
HW Interface virtualized SW Interface virtualized SW
HW

C-RAN V-RAN O-RAN

Virtualized SW running on Open I/F HW

Centralized BB processing Virtualization of the RAN Openness, programmability

functionality and artificial intelligence

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Open RAN – Network Transformation
Core
Network CN
(CN)

Open RAN

CU

RIC
Traditional RAN • Disaggregation
DU
• Open / enlarged vendor ecosystem
• Open Interfaces
Open FH
• Decoupling HW from SW
• Intelligent management RU/RRH
• Lower CAPEX
• Minimization of proprietary solutions

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Logical RAN Disaggregation
Xn-U/X2-U S1-U/NG-U Xn-C/X2-AP S1-AP/NG-C

User Plane (CU-UP) Control Plane (CU-CP) Central Unit (CU)

Non-Real-Time Functions (L3/High L2):
E1 Connection mgmt
SDAP •
Radio bearer configuration
RRC •
• HO/cell sel/resel
• Data encryption & header compression
PDCP • OAM/interface to core

F1-U F1-C

Radio Processing
Distributed Unit (DU)
Real-Time functions (L2/High L1):
RLC • Scheduling & MCS
• Scrambling
• Interference coordination
MAC • Segmentation/concatenation
• Mux/dmux
• Error correction
H-PHY

eCPRI/O-RAN LLS Remote Unit (DU)

Real-Time PHY functions (low pHY/RF):
L-PHY • IFFT/FFT
• MIMO
RF • Beamforming
RFE
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 Relevant Entities & Relations
• MANO • SMO & Non-RT RIC • Exemplar Platform for
• CU-CP/CU-UP • near-RT RIC O-RAN Based on
• DU • A1, E2, O1, O2, Open FH Specific Design Choices
• E1, F1-C, F1-U • O-RAN LLS

ONF SD-RAN TIP RAN

Intelligence and
O-RAN Automation (RIA)
O-RAN Software
Alliance Community subgroup
3GPP Specifications (OSC)
Standards Use RICs to develop & deploy
Other features AI/ML based xApps for RAN use
cases (SON, RRM, MMIMO)

Other features

Reference Designs Exemplar Platforms Use Case Development

Notes:
• There is also Open RAN Policy Coalition to promote policies that will advance the adoption of O-RAN concept rimedolabs.com
• Other entities may show up, like cloud platforms for placing O-RAN / interoperatibility testing / „xApp stores”
 O-RAN Timeline/History

2021 – June
O-RAN Alliance
2021 – March
releases 33
O-RAN Alliance new specs
2020 – May
releases 36 O-RAN
Open RAN second set of
2020 – Feb demos
Policy specifications showcased at
O-RAN Alliance Coalition was
2019 – July MWC 2021
sets up formed
SCF enabled O- partnership
2019 – Feb
RAN with TIP
Rakuten ecosystem
2018 - Feb
deploys with nFAPI
O-RAN Alliance World’s first V-
2017
formed (from RAN network
First Open RAN xRAN Forum
2016
trials in LATAM and C-RAN
Telecom Infra Alliance)
Project (TIP)
was formed
xRAN Forum
was formed

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O-RAN Functionality Split
Base Station Functional Split O-RAN Alliance Architecture

OSS
Dissagregating
A1 functions and
specifying
standard
RIC interfaces

Source: https://www.o-ran.org/
E2

BBU (CU/DU)

Open FH
RRU

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 O-RAN
Non-RT RIC

A1

near-RT RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC)

E2 E2 E2

N2
to AMF RRC PDCP-C

O-CU-CP

Sched.
N3
to UPF SDAP PDCP-U RLC MAC PHY D/A & RFE

O-CU-UP O-DU O-RU

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E2 Node
O-RAN Alliance WGs
WG1 • UC, arch, slicing, security Focus: identify/study use cases and
overall architecture

WG2 • Non-RT RIC, A1

Focus: optimization and automation on
RRM using RIC, definition of RIC
WG3 • Near-RT RIC, E2 architecture

WG4 • Open FH (IEEE1914, eCPRI, CPRI)

Focus: open interfaces to acheive
interoperability between different RAN
WG5 • Open F1, W1, E1, X2, Xn HW and SW vendors

WG6 • Cloudification and Orchestration

Focus: commoditization, virtualization
WG7 • Whitebox HW reference design and modularization/decoupling of RAN
SW and HW, referece design

WG8 • Stack reference design (CU/DU)

Focus: new transport network based on
WG9 • Open X-Haul (FH, MH, BH) new architectures and end user service
requirements for FH, MH and BH

WG10 • OAM Focus: OAM framework including

requirements, architecture O1 interface

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O-RAN Virtual Exhibition
 O-RAN Software Community (OSC)
OSC is a collaboration between O-RAN ALLIANCE and Linux Foundation to support the creation of RAN software.

O-RAN Central Unit (OCU) - reference

implementation of RRC, SDAP, PDCP, F1AP
module and API between

O-DU High (ODUHIGH) and O-DU Low

(ODULOW) - functional blocks developped
RIC Applications (RICAPP) -
according to O-RAN and 3GPP specification
open source sample xAPPs

O-RAN OSC
Projects
near-RT RAN Intelligent
Controller (RIC) - initial RIC
Currently available:
Platform to support xAPPs
Cherry Release (12.2020) Service Management and Orchestration
(SMO) – onboarding of rApps running on
NRT RIC, xApps running on nRT RIC

Non-RT RIC (NONRTRIC) – incl. non-RT

RRM, procedure optimization, policies
and AI/ML models to support operation
of nRT RIC functions
Notes: There are additional supporting projects, like,
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Simulations (SIM), Integration and test (INT), or Infrastructure (INF)
 O-RAN Alliance’s Use Cases - Overview

Low Cost RAN Whitebox Hardware RAN Sharing

Traffic Steering RAN Slice SLA Assurance

Phase I Phase II

Context Based Dynamic Handover

QoE Optimization
Management for V2X

Flight Path Based Dynamic UAV

Massive MIMO Optimization
Resource Allocation

Radio Resource Allocation for UAV

QoS Based Resource Optimization
Applications

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Based on: O-RAN Alliance WP (O-RAN Use Cases and Deployment Scenarios)
 Open RAN Technical Priority Document

https://www.o-ran.org/ecosystem

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Source: „OPEN RAN TECHNICAL PRIORITIES, UNDER THE OPEN RAN MOU”, by Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica, TIM and Vodafone
 Open RAN Technical Priorities – RIC Use Cases

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Source: „OPEN RAN TECHNICAL PRIORITIES, UNDER THE OPEN RAN MOU”, by Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica, TIM and Vodafone
Pros & Cons of O-RAN

Avoid vendor lock-in New SW/HW requirements

Enable faster innovation Interoperability
Allow extension of ecosystem Integration
Reduce CAPEX Complex automation
Quick Time-to-Market Virtualization
Allow more companies to participate in Security
HW/SW development (increased
Reliability and availability
competition)
High FH bandwidth and low latency
Network flexibility
„Price” (OPEX?) and ROI
New services and applications
Performance

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O-RAN Resources

• O-RAN Alliance Whitepaper

• O-RAN Specifications
• O-RAN SC (Cherry Release)
• SD-RAN / ONF
• SD-RAN Presentation
• SD-RAN Whitepaper

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Summary

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5G, Private Networks and Open RAN
Mobile systems evolved from „One-size-fits-all” to complex mechanisms
supporting various use cases

5G brings native complexity as it targets vertical industries and introduces

slicing

Private mobile networks are tailored 4G/5G solutions for specific

applications with specific requirements

Open RAN brings the flexibility, disaggregation and decreases vendor

lock-in, but introduces integration costs

O-RAN Alliance, TIP, Open RAN Coallition and ONF contribute to the overall
open RAN movement

O-RAN Alliance standardizes the Open RAN architecture, use cases, interfaces,
and building blocks

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Your trusted partner in: Let’s keep in touch!
LTE, 5G & Beyond, RRM,
Wi-Fi, IoT, O-RAN,
RIMEDO Labs
ul. Polanka 3

Private Mobile Networks.

61-131 Poznan, Poland

info@rimedolabs.com
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Marcin Dryjanski
marcin.dryjanski@rimedolabs.com
 Check out our blog! Download our Whitepaper!

https://rimedolabs.com/blog https://bit.ly/3B9k7mm
Home - RIMEDO Labs
Who We Are? Dynamic Spectrum Sharing

Radio Resource Management

5G
Wi-Fi Wireless Private Mobile Networks
RIMEDO Labs specializes in providing the best quality
and substantive consulting, implementation and R&D 6G Systems
IoT
services in the field of modern wireless systems. Ultra Dense Networks
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We implement this through an individual and open Novel Wireless Concepts
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