RAN automation: Software enablers for next-gen RAN

Used correctly, these techniques have tremendous potential to overcome complex cross-domain automation challenges in radio networks. Our ongoing research reveals that an integrated framework of software enablers will be essential to success. Modern telecommunications and mobile networks are becoming increasingly complex from a resource management perspective, with diverse combinations of software and infrastructure elements that need to be configured and tuned for efficient operation with high QoS. The latest 5G mobile system is a good example of a sophisticated radio network that allows many deployment variations – such as centralized, distributed or various hybrids of both – while simultaneously supporting diverse categories of applications such as mission-critical control with ultra-reliability and low latency, massively concurrent Internet of Things device access and enhanced mobile broadband. It is well accepted in the communications community that appropriately dimensioned, efficient and reliable configurations of systems like 5G are a complex technical challenge.