Analysis and performance evaluation of open source solutions for software implementation of LTE networks

With the rapid growth of LTE networks, the radio access network is becoming more and more costly to deploy, operate, maintain and upgrade. The most effective answer to this problem lies in the centralization and virtualization of the eNodeBs. This solution is known as Cloud RAN and is one of the key topics in the development of fifth generation networks. In this work we present the state of the art in the virtualization of LTE nodes, identifying in OpenAirInterface the most complete and reliable software solution. Then, we implement two MAC schedulers and a custom dashboard for real time performance monitoring. Lastly, we evaluate OAI performance and the effectiveness of resource schedulers in different scenarios. The results confirm that OpenAirInterface can effectively emulate an LTE network in different load conditions and with different resource schedulers, and is a potential candidate for the commercial deployment of future 5G networks