OpenAirInterface

TLDR

The rapid growth of mobile data traffic and the emergence of machine‑type communications are driving research toward 5G networks, which will incorporate technologies such as cloud RAN, SDN, massive MIMO, and full‑duplex, and require realistic, flexible experimentation platforms that support both real‑world and controlled evaluations while remaining backward compatible with current systems. This paper introduces OpenAirInterface (OAI) as a flexible platform for 5G research. The authors illustrate how OAI can be employed in several prominent 5G research areas.

Abstract

Driven by the need to cope with exponentially growing mobile data traffic and to support new traffic types from massive numbers of machine-type devices, academia and industry are thinking beyond the current generation of mobile cellular networks to chalk a path towards fifth generation (5G) mobile networks. Several new approaches and technologies are being considered as potential elements making up such a future mobile network, including cloud RANs, application of SDN principles, exploiting new and unused portions of spectrum, use of massive MIMO and full-duplex communications. Research on these technologies requires realistic and flexible experimentation platforms that offer a wide range of experimentation modes from real-world experimentation to controlled and scalable evaluations while at the same time retaining backward compatibility with current generation systems. Towards this end, we present OpenAirInterface (OAI) as a suitably flexible platform. In addition, we discuss the use of OAI in the context of several widely mentioned 5G research directions.