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This session will discuss how Open architecture technologies, such as OpenRAN, will be a key enabler of this digital transformation of European economies and societies allowing network operators to source RAN equipment from a more diverse range of general purpose processor hardware, software and radio antennae vendors, each specialising and competing in different parts of the RAN supply chain. OpenRAN also enables networks to be operated in entirely new ways, for example, network automation will drive operational innovation and efficiencies. The fact that the software and hardware layers are disaggregated, brings additional flexibility to network operations, allowing new features and capabilities to be introduced simply via software upgrades, enabling the delivery of flexible high quality services tailored to customers’ specific needs.
5G will provide significant societal value as it is used for critical infrastructure, mission critical applications, smart manufacturing, connected car, and other use cases. As a result of this new usage, our risk tolerance must be decreased because of the increased impact of cyberattacks on the 5G network. This requires a risk-based approach to securing Radio Access Networks (RAN) as it evolves to Open RAN that is virtualized, disaggregated, cloud-native, automated, and intelligent. Along with new secure use cases, there is an emerging requirement for Open RAN which can be implemented using the approaches of virtual RAN, Cloud RAN, and O-RAN. These new technologies in the wireless cellular space bring inherent security benefits while also introducing new security risks. This presentation will address the Open RAN approaches and the security risks for each. Open RAN security topics that will be discussed include 3GPP 5G security, cloud security, security-by-design, and secure use of open source software. ORAN’s expanded threat surface, with additional interfaces and functions, introduces additional security risks that will also be discussed. The presentation will also introduce concepts to achieve a zero-trust architecture for Open RAN that can be implemented in Cloud RAN and O-RAN. The multi-party relationship between the operator, cloud provider, and system integrator requires security roles and responsibilities are clearly defined in this presentation.
At present the O-RAN architecture provides a promising solution of an open-RAN ecosystem, where based on the defined functional splits (CU, DU, RU) a multi-vendor solution can theoretically be achieved. This so called “wave 1.0” 5G that is capable of utilizing only basic (rough) virtualization as well as introducing essential interfaces to enable open-ecosystem, like: E2 for the control of CU/DU/RU as well as A1, O1, O2 for policy based management, network configuration and monitoring. The existing state-of-the art based on IS-Wireless analysis and experiences (also as O-RAN member) should be upgraded to what we call open-RAN Wave 2.0 in order to allow greater flexibility of functional split as well as improve the capability of addressing the challenges of ultra-dense networks. Flexibility of functional splits is essential to adjust open-RAN based networks to the existing infrastructure capabilities including not only fronthaul but also midhaul interfaces. Fronthaul is understood mainly as splits beyond 6 and especially the 7.2 O-RAN split that requires a certain level of capacity, which may be even quadrupled with the split 7.1. In the midhaul e.g. where the CU-CP with RIC (RAN intelligent controller), CORE, MEC and application servers are located, the infrastructure can also vary in capacity. With highly granularized network functions packaged as VNF/CNF (virtual machines of containers) and also providing multitude of split options it is easier to tailor deployment of open-RAN network to fit into available fronthaul and to optimize cost of hardware and network. Moreover, it is then more convenient to orchestrate such “workloads” (i.e. 5G radio stack functions) across edge-cloud continuum, also including edge micro data centers. In this way, multiple split association types can also be achieved naturally e.g. split per slice, per UE, per bearer. The underlying compute resources can also be utilized more efficiently as particular workloads can be fitted to a variety of acceleration cards (GPU, FPGA, SmartNIC) or computer architectures (x86, ARM). Eventually such fine grained, highly composable (orchestrated) disaggregated open-RAN can be called open-RAN Wave 2.0, as it enables achieving higher capacities for network operators who are aiming to address the challenges of ultra-dense networks. Efficient data-driven resource management (both radio and compute) with the novel paradigms like cell-free (or distributed cell-free massive MIMO) are becoming more straightforward to be implemented with such improved open-RAN architectures.
KEYNOTE SPEECH ON “EMERGING DIVERSITY INITIATIVES IN COMMUNICATIONS ENGINEERING” Abstract: This presentation will highlight recent efforts by ComSoc and IEEE to broaden participation, engagement, and success in communications engineering. Worldwide trends and initiatives will be described. The talk will conclude with a discussion of emerging efforts towards diversity, equity, and inclusion, and what remains to be done.