Converging Towards Open Radio Access Networks – A Comprehensive Review

Authors

  • Yahya Sameen Junejo Department of Telecommunication Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering & Technology, Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan
  • Faisal Karim Shaikh Department of Telecommunication Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering & Technology, Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan
  • Bhawani Shankar Chowdhry NCRA-CMS Lab, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4340-9602
  • Ali Akber Shah NCRA-CMS Lab, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8045-3514
  • Waleed Ejaz Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Lakehead University, ON, Canada

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13052/jmm1550-4646.2013

Keywords:

5G RAN, 6G RAN, open RAN, cloud ran, GSM, front haul, O-RAN interfaces, O-RAN classification

Abstract

Radio Access Networks (RAN) have been an integral part of the cellular mobile communication systems since the deployment of Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) networks and later for the legacy Universal Mobile Telecommunication Systems (UMTS) and Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks. However, due to increasing demands of the users, throughput, ultra-lower latency, virtualization of the network and to cater the seamless connectivity of millions of wireless devices with the cellular networks, the advent of RAN needs to be brought under consideration. In this paper the traditional RANs are discussed with the necessity for their transition into the Open RAN (ORAN), considering all its essential parameters. The constraints of the legacy RAN architectures are explored with an overview of the RAN intelligent controllers, ORAN and its types. This paper additionally examines the function of artificial intelligence in Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI), enhanched CPRI, and xApps in terms of use cases along with the challenges associated with their deployment. The paper also present challenges and future of ORAN.

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Author Biographies

Yahya Sameen Junejo, Department of Telecommunication Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering & Technology, Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan

Yahya Sameen Junejo received the Masters from The University of Leeds, UK in 2011. He has a diversified experience of over 11 years in the field of cellular mobile communication engineering and has been part of multinational companies like Huawei, Telenor Pakistan and Nokia Solutions and Networks Pakistan. He is currently enrolled as a PhD Student at the Department of Telecommunication Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET), Jamshoro Sindh, Pakistan. His research areas include 5G and beyond cellular communication. During his PhD he has worked in collaboration with Politecnico Di Milano, Italy and currently he is enrolled at WCN research group Lakehead University, ON, Canada as a Visiting Research Graduate Student.

Faisal Karim Shaikh, Department of Telecommunication Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering & Technology, Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan

Faisal Karim Shaikh is working as a Professor at Department of Telecommunication Engg., MUET, Jamshoro. He received Ph.D. in Computer Science from the Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany. His research areas include Internet of Things (IoT), Wireless Sensor Networks, Vehicular Adhoc Networks, Smart Homes and Cities, Body Area Networks, and Underwater Sensor Networks. He is a founder of IoT Research Laboratory at MUET. He has published more than 125 refereed journal, conference, and book chapters. He is a senior member of IEEE, IEEE COMSOC, IEEE Computer Society and life member of PEC.

Bhawani Shankar Chowdhry, NCRA-CMS Lab, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan

Bhawani Shankar Chowdhry is a Distinguished National Professor and the former Dean Faculty of Electrical Electronics and Computer Engineering at MUET, Jamshoro, Pakistan. He is member of various professional bodies including: immediate past Chairman IEEE Karachi Section, Region10 Asia/Pacific, Fellow IEP, Fellow IEEEP, Senior Member IEEE Inc. (USA), SM ACM Inc. (USA).

Ali Akber Shah, NCRA-CMS Lab, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan

Ali Akbar Shah is a PhD Student in Electronics Engineering, MUET, Jamshoro. He holds a ME in Mechatronics Engineering and a BE in Electronics Engineering from MUET, Jamshoro. Currently he is working as a exchange student at Dublin City University during his PhD.

Waleed Ejaz, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Lakehead University, ON, Canada

Waleed Ejaz is working in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Lakehead University, Barrie, ON, Canada. He received the B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Computer Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology, Taxila, Pakistan and the National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan, and the Ph.D. degree in Information and Communication Engineering from Sejong University, Republic of Korea. His current research interests include IoT, energy harvesting, 5G and beyond networks, and mobile edge computing.

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Published

2024-02-05

How to Cite

Junejo, Y. S. ., Shaikh, F. K. ., Chowdhry, B. S. ., Shah, A. A. ., & Ejaz, W. . (2024). Converging Towards Open Radio Access Networks – A Comprehensive Review. Journal of Mobile Multimedia, 20(01), 49–86. https://doi.org/10.13052/jmm1550-4646.2013

Issue

2024: Vol 20 Iss 1

Section

6G: The Road for Future Wireless Networks (SOUL)

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