SCALING 5G CELLULAR NETWORKS USING DISTRIBUTED RADIO ACCESS NETWORKS

Abstract

In this thesis, we focus on a key component of cellular networks: the Radio Access Network (RAN). The RAN provides radio access and manages resource allocation among users in the cellular network. Current state-of-the-art RAN architecture involves a Cloud-based RAN (CRAN), where digital baseband processing from multiple base stations is centralized in a cloud to enable multiplexing of resources which enables operators to reduce costs and introduce new features with ease. The move to CRAN has also allowed cellular network operators to adopt a number of technologies from traditional cloud computing domain such as Network Function Virtualization (NFV) and Software Defined Networks (SDN). This thesis studies how NFV and SDN can help design a cellular network that not only scales efficiently with the increase in the number of devices but also supports a diverse set of applications with varying Service Level Objectives while reducing total costs.