Rimedo Labs Blog

Recently, energy efficiency has been pointed out as one of the key requirements within mobile networks. The development of intelligent algorithms providing RAN with EE features is possible when having access to the KPIs, and proper control actions, e.g., cell on/off switching, or RF channel reconfiguration. These features together with a ML framework are available in the O-RAN architecture. This post provides an overview of the EE framework according to the use cases specified by the O-RAN ALLIANCE. It is followed by the implementation of the ES-rApp as per Rimedo Labs’ implementation.

The concept of the Digital Twin (DT) has been around for years, but it has recently gained increased recognition. A Digital Twin is a software-based representation of a real-world system, device, or invention, designed to mimic its real-life counterpart as closely as possible. In this blog post, we explore the concept of DT and its potential impact on future networks. We highlight the benefits of using Network Digital Twins (NDTs) and demonstrate how integrating AI and ML with DT can enhance overall network performance. Additionally, we present the O-RAN ALLIANCE’s perspective on DT and discuss potential future developments in this area.

This blog details our work on extending Traffic Steering within the O-RAN framework through Hierarchical Traffic Management. We evaluate it in a challenging scenario involving a heterogeneous network with high mobility, where the behavior and service usage of UEs change significantly over time. The use case addresses dynamic network changes, including the appearance of high-priority emergency services like Emergency Special Services and First Responders and a complex denial of service cyberattack during high-demand situations.

In the current heterogeneous mobile networks, traffic management is considered one of the key features to efficiently handle non-uniform user data. To realize this, the traffic steering function is employed, whose main task is to allocate users’ traffic flows to network nodes or cells. O-RAN ALLIANCE provides means to support traffic steering through the utilization of Non- and Near-RT RIC frameworks and the accompanied rApps and xApps. This whitepaper provides an overview of the traffic steering topic in 5G mobile networks and how it fits into the O-RAN area. This is followed up by example implementations of the Traffic Steering xApp and its utilization for various use cases working in tandems with the corresponding rApps for energy saving and V2X scenarios.

This blog post discusses in detail two options for notification of the TS-xApp on the ES actions from the O-RAN specifications perspective. The first option is to utilize the A1 interface to send policies with a “FORBID” clause for cells that will be switched off, to indicate TS-xApp that users should be removed from this cell. The second approach is to utilize the E2SM-CCC, where the TS-xApp listens to the changes in O-CES Management Function.

Vehicular communication presents a complex set of challenges within the realm of 5G and future networks, primarily due to its ever-changing temporal and spatial dynamics. This use case places specific and demanding requirements on mobile networks, as it includes a diverse range of services with varying needs. In this blog, we address this problem by flexible utilization of both Traffic Management rApp (TM-rApp) and Traffic Steering xApp (TS-xApp), which could help in V2X scenarios.

3GPP Release-19 is the second release of the 5G-Advanced standard. Early workshops on this release were held in June 2023 discussing hundreds of submissions. The original assumption was that 3GPP Rel-19 would primarily focus on investing in the 5G-Advanced commercial deployments to further improve performance and address critical needs. In this post, we’re elaborating on the contents of the selected WIs and SIs to be incorporated within 3GPP Rel-19 as of December 2023.

In this blog post, we show how the utilization of both Traffic Management rApp and Traffic Steering xApp could help in V2X scenarios. We also emphasize the use of enrichment information, made available through O-RAN, that suits specifically to vehicular services, such as car platoon geolocation or emergency situation notifications. The flexibility offered by the O-RAN architecture allows for optimized resource management through policy control in companion with EI when dynamic changes occur on the road. This is analyzed within the context of specific O-RAN use cases related to V2X.