By Brad Kloza, Program Director, IEEE Future Directions
It’s no secret that the telecom industry is plagued by vendor lock. A small handful of companies dominate RAN (Radio Access Network) systems, and a single vendor typically provides all of the RAN hardware and software components for an entire nationwide network.
The open-RAN movement aims to change this monolithic dynamic by disaggregating network hardware and software, allowing interoperability between different vendors’ equipment, and giving smaller, newer vendors a better chance of entering the market. Greater competition among vendors should accelerate 5G deployments, reduce operational costs, and enhance network performance.
However, significant work is still needed before widespread adoption and full readiness of O-RAN. The IEEE 5G/6G Innovation Testbed is now capable of supporting O-RAN testing and development for companies and universities of any size. It is just the latest of many updates and enhancements added to the IEEE Testbed in the past year.
The IEEE Testbed offers Open-RAN testing that’s either fully cloud-based (with emulators for the 5G radio and user traffic) or which runs through IEEE’s 5G hardware and O-RAN software via remote access for users. The platform also includes a RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC), which enables testing and development for high-impact business cases:
· Enhancing network optimization through real-time data analytics and AI/ML algorithms
· Better resource allocation and dynamic network slicing capabilities
· Reduced operational costs through automation of network management tasks
· Improved Quality of Service (QoS) through predictive network management
· Support for multi-vendor deployments by abstracting hardware specifics
· Support for xApps that optimize traffic steering, energy efficiency, quality of service, and more
· Optimized security monitoring and threat mitigation
What is the IEEE 5G/6G Innovation Testbed?
The IEEE 5G/6G Innovation Testbed is a new service that began in Future Directions under the IEEE Future Networks initiative. When the world was on lockdown from the COVID pandemic, IEEE volunteers Anwer Al-Dulaimi and Ashutosh Dutta lamented that the high-tech labs designed for 5G testing and development were dormant. Meanwhile, reports from firms like McKinsey showed that the telecom industry’s commitment to innovation teams was substantially decreasing.
Testbed Co-Chairs Al-Dulaimi and Dutta saw an opportunity for IEEE to step in and fill a void. They applied for funding from the IEEE New Initiatives Committee to launch a 5G testing and development platform that took a unique approach: Rather than starting like other 5G testbeds by purchasing expensive proprietary equipment and installing it in a lab, they proposed building a fully cloud-based testing environment using mostly open-source components.
The 5G/6G Innovation Testbed was officially launched in spring 2024, and is already serving corporate and academic organizations globally. Since the launch several exciting enhancements have been introduced as the platform continues to evolve:
· Installed 5G hardware that Testbed users can access via remote login to run physical layer tests regardless of location
· Established support for a “BYO hardware” approach where a subscriber’s equipment can be connected to their IEEE Testbed account in the cloud
· Added open source and proprietary tools including CAMARA APIs, NIKSUN NetMobility, AMCOP, OBS Studio, Scapy, Speed Test, Trace Analyzer, Grafana and others
· Introduced the IEEE Test Bench add-on, a powerful orchestration tool for fast and thorough testing of 5G core functions and use cases, in partnership with Rebaca
· Enabled customization options for subscribers to securely upload their proprietary software or algorithms for use in their private and personalized IEEE Testbed account
· Developed a graphical user interface to simplify and speed up test configurations, access to testing tools, creating use cases, and more
Not Just for Telecom
While O-RAN development is the purview of the telecom industry, it’s important to note that the IEEE 5G/6G Innovation Testbed is a useful tool for many industries outside of telecommunications. Private 5G networks are currently being deployed to automate factories and smart farms, optimize power plants and warehouses, enable self-driving cars and smart hospitals, and much more. This means companies in manufacturing, healthcare, entertainment, agriculture, and beyond can use the IEEE Testbed to develop and test new functionalities and use cases before deploying them live in their enterprise 5G network.
For more information on all the available tools and functionalities in the Testbed, or to request a demo and trial account, visit https://testbed.ieee.org/
