A Comprehensive Tutorial on How to Practically Build and Deploy 5G Networks Using Open-Source Software and General-Purpose, Off-the-Shelf Hardware

Abstract

5G technology is the cornerstone for new services like eMBB, uRLLC, and mMTC, thus it should be globally available and affordable to make these services a reality. Yet most vendors responsible for the manufacturing of 5G hardware equipment and software still utilize and adopt the classical closed radio access network (RAN) concept. Consequently, this forces mobile operators, who want to deploy such equipment to build 5G cellular networks, to pay a hefty, unreasonable amount of money and still end up in vendor lock-in, which limits them from making personal changes in the network architecture or using different equipment and software from other vendors. This generally means that operators do not have complete control over the network, which they have paid for. To tackle this challenge, a new concept called Open RAN has recently emerged, which has attracted significant attention by industry leaders due to its very exciting features like the ability to use open-source software, general-purpose hardware, having the hardware separated from the software while maintaining full transparency, and interoperability. Motivated by the many features and benefits enabled by Open RAN, there is a huge need for an educational comprehensive step-by-step tutorial on how an individual or company can practically build and deploy a 5G network using open-source software and commercial off-the-shelf, general-purpose hardware. In this tutorial, we discuss almost everything related to the history and background of 5G companies and manufacturers, legacy RAN solutions and equipment, different ways and approaches to build a 5G network including RAN, CORE, and EDGE frameworks, open-source software, and generic hardware. After this, we illustrate in detail the steps of how to build and set up a 5G network using srsRAN with LimeSDR, and Raspberry Pi 4. In the end, we list the best possible PCs and software-defined radio (SDR) combinations that can be extremely helpful in building 5G networks.

Keywords: 4G, 5G, 6G, radio access networks, RANs, Closed RAN, Open RAN, universal software radio peripheral, USRP, open-source software, software-defined radio, SDR, srsRAN, 5G Non stand alone.

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