“SDN-Based, Programmatically Virtualizable
Cloud RAN Architecture for 5G”
Mail to Expert
Challenges Towards 5G
The tremendous growth in wireless Internet is showing no signs of slowing down. The explosion in the demand is not only due to larger number of connections but also the multimedia rich applications, which constitude the majority of these connections. The upcoming IoT and M2M technologies will save further increase the demand. Existing cellular networks will be insufficient because of inflexible and expensive equipment, and complex non-agile control plane. Additionally, the MSPs will increasingly loose a significant portion of their traditional revenue stream to over-the-top Providers.
Argela’s 5G Vision
ARGELA believes that 5G needs to be built on the pillars of Disruptive Physical Layer Technologies, NFV, and SDN.
5G Pillars
ARGELA believes that 5G needs to be built on the pillars of:
- Disruptive Physical Layer Technologies such as the use of new, higher-frequency spectrum, including the millimeter wave, Massive MIMO and optimized modulation, coding, and multiple access technologies for the new spectra to satisfy the growing demand in wireless connectivity as well as associated data rates;
- Network Function Virtualization, preferably using open-source software, so that the previously vertically integrated, inflexible and non-scalable equipment within the network are all realized in software running on off-the-shelf servers in the cloud.
- Software-Defined Networking for both the Core and Radio Access Networks, so that MSPs can develop new revenue sources via programmable control of the network. In fact, we believe that the key differentiator for 5G systems will be in how we architect and orchestrate the overall system (CN+RAN) control. Realizing the benefits of cloudification while taking full advantage of the transport capacity over a multitude of spectra and distributed over a large geographical area is a key benefit. We envision a fully decoupled, independently scalable and programmable user and control planes for 5G.
5G Control Plane
We believe that a simpler, programmable network architecture is necessary for 5G. This architecture will completely eliminate specialized, and thus expensive components such as the MME, S-GW, P-GW and PCRF, as well as the tunneling protocols for overlay routing. Furthermore, this architecture will unify the control of the RAN and CN for the network to allow for flexibility in orchestrated network programmability. Furthermore, each hierarchy may be deployed in a distributed but logically centralized manner to serve the geography.
While we advocate an all-SDN network architecture, we ascertain that an interworking set of hierarchical controllers as opposed to a single centralized control is necessary to handle the delay constraints associated with various control functionalities of the network. For more details on our vision of the 5G control plane, please read our paper that appeared in the November 2014 issue of the IEEE Communications Magazine (link to the paper that we will post on the publications and white papers page) .
5G Research & Innovations
Argela conducts research and development in wireless communication networks towards 5G, as well as developing 5G enabling technologies such as SDN and NFV.
Argela conducts research and development in wireless communication networks towards 5G with a sharp focus on innovation in its Silicon Valley, USA, Istanbul and Ankara offices.
In 5G research, our fundamental goals are to increase our patent portfolio, and actively pursue the acceptance of these patents in related international standards and consortia. We also rigorously track new technologies, trends, and start-ups to understand new market trends, form profitable partnerships, develop new vision and market strategies, and share these with Turk Telekom group companies.
We believe that it is important to develop expertise in SDN, NFV, and related open source frameworks for wireless solutions and use this expertise to increase the value of existing and new Argela products, as well as to contribute to Argela’s increasing reputation as a well-known high technology company with innovative solutions in all aspects of wireless networks.
ProgRAN
ProgRAN is a patent-pending, fully programmable, SDN-based RAN solution for LTE and 5G developed by ARGELA.
ProgRAN is a patent-pending, fully programmable, SDN-based RAN solution for LTE and 5G developed by ARGELA. ProgRAN provides an intuitive, programmable RAN for MSPs so that fast, dynamic, and robust treatment of the RAN control plane is feasible. The ProgRAN solution is applicable for both typical as well as Cloud RAN deployments.
Using ProgRAN, MSPs can deploy, modify or introduce different scheduling, admission control, and handover management algorithms to different flows in different parts of their network and conduct such controls via a simple programming interface. For more information on ProgRAN, please contact at contact@argela.com.tr.
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