RAN Intelligence Solutions

AI RAN Scenario Generator and Geolocation

RAN Intelligence Solutions

At VIAVI, we offer the most comprehensive testing & training suite for O-RAN RIC and x/rApps, including our RAN Scenario Generator for AI app training.

This makes us the perfect partner for your NTIA NOFO 3 funding application process. Whether you’re developing or deploying RIC or x/rApps, collaborate with us to ensure you’re fully prepared for field deployment.

Reducing total cost of ownership for next-generation Radio Access Networks requires a higher level of network intelligence. This is achievable with a well-tested and optimized RIC combined with innovative r/xApps. 

Energy costs have become a major concern with operators facing a double hit from higher price per megawatt and new technologies that consume more power such as Massive MIMO. Moreover, with increased competition and slowing growth in subscriber numbers, operators must find ways to reduce TCO and achieve a positive ROI for 5G upgrades faster.

Defining RAN Intelligence

RAN intelligence is composed of the RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC), third-party r/xApps, and data analytics. All these elements build an interactive brain that enables a self-learning, optimized, and efficient AI/ML-driven wireless network.

RAN Intelligence unlocks access to innovation and enhanced performance through cutting-edge use cases
Energy Savings
Traffic Steering
Slice and QoS Optimization

 

Energy Savings

The RIC and associated Energy Saving Apps can reduce the energy consumed by the RAN by making intelligent decisions about how to deploy resources, for example turning off cells and frequencies during quiet times, without compromising user experience.

Before live deployment, r/xApps and rApps for the RIC need to be assessed and also trained to best optimize 5G energy savings. With AI RAN Scenario Generator (AI RSG) you can emulate RAN hardware, software, cells, power consumption and traffic conditions to test RIC performance under real-world conditions. In an easy and cost-effective way.

Intelligence Energy Savings

In addition, by continually capturing and analyzing subscriber data with NITRO Location Intelligence as rApp/xApp, you can improve RAN power consumption and subscriber QoE further.

Mobility data and subscriber-centric insights are provided to a ML-driven digital twin for analysis. RAN energy savings driven by fully or partially powered off cells and e-tilts can be predicted and quantified by the digital twin in parallel, to safeguard the subscriber's mobile experience. Adjustments can then be implemented to maximum advantage as part of a continuous optimization loop.

VIAVI New Approach Using Location Intelligence

Resources for Energy Savings

 

 
Video: How AI RAN Scenario Generator (AI RSG) can be used to run energy saving algorithms form RIC and rApps

 
Video: RAN Energy Savings with VIAVI Location Intelligence

 

 

Slice and QoS Optimization

Network slicing creates virtual slices of a network that can meet performance parameters for a particular service or application. Quality of Service optimization refers to how RAN resources are allocated between users. The RIC can guarantee performance for a slice by using ML to predict and deliver the required resources for it. The RIC can also protect the slice from being impacted by outside elements. 

To ensure seamless security, you need to perform security validation and application emulation before live deployment. With TeraVM you can emulate a city's worth of 5G network subscriber activity and easily pinpoint flow problems and bottlenecks.

Geolocation data from Location Intelligence as an r/xApp further enhances QoS with insights into spatial distribution, subscriber dynamics, and service performance. This will optimize traffic steering, reduce OPEX, and prevent intercell interference.  

VIAVI Geolocation x/rApp for RIC

Resources for Traffic Steering

 

 
Video: RAN Energy Savings with VIAVI Location Intelligence

 
Whitepaper: Network Slicing – Test Now, Succeed Later

 

Traffic Steering

Balancing traffic loads among cells, cell groups, and bearers while achieving low-latency and high quality of service isn't easy. The spectrum can go underutilized and handover failures rise. Traffic steering can help by routing, balancing, switching, and splitting traffic across diverse, multi-access radio networks.

The RIC can implement traffic steering based on a current view of the network and applying AI/ML algorithms for improvements. xApps can tell the RIC to steer subscribers to another cell or frequency if their Quality of Experience will be improved.

To ensure that the xApps work optimally and don't conflict with each other, a repeatable environment where the RIC and the Apps can be trained and validated in different scenarios is needed. A RAN emulator can emulate the UEs and recreate anomalies on purpose to test if the Apps can resolve the issue.

The VIAVI RIC Test Solution continuously sends statistics, KPIs and counters across the E2 interface to the RIC, which is housing the xApps to test them. This allows to gather full data on how the RIC and xApps perform against target KPIs.

Traffic Steering Demo

The VIAVI Geolocation App exposes geolocated data to rApps and xApps, including insights on spatial distribution and dynamics for subscribers, devices, network, and service performance. It enables the RIC to make better decisions in many Near-RT and Non-RT optimization and automation use cases, including traffic steering.

Resources for Traffic Steering

 

 
Video: Near RT RIC Traffic Steering Demonstration

 
Case Study: Traffic Steering

 

Feeding Intelligence in the RIC

The RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) acts as a "cognitive enhancer" in the Open RAN architecture. Through third-party r/xApps that use AI/ML algorithms, it gathers and analyzes live feeds from the network, historical data, and trends to predict what may happen in the RAN, then very quickly adjusts parameters for optimal performance. It enables Operators to:

  • Save energy use
  • Protect network slices and guarantee SLAs
  • Optimize spectrum resources to get more calls and data sessions
  • Improve Customer Experience
  • Anticipate and mitigate issues before they happen
  • Automate main operations from network configuration to optimization
  • Detect security breaches early and close the door on the breach before it spreads into the network

Boost the RAN Intelligence

The RIC is a brand-new node with new interfaces and r/xApps from different developers. If it doesn't work properly and securely, it can lead to network degradation and security breaches. 

Before the RIC is implemented in a live network, Operators, Network Equipment Manufacturers and r/xApp developers must therefore understand and validate the dynamics between the platform and the Apps.

A thoroughly tested and optimized RIC, along with first-class r/xApps will enhance the RAN intelligence and facilitate the confident roll-out of Open RAN and new architectures

AI RAN Scenario Generator (AI RSG) for Operators, Network Equipment Manufacturers and r/xApp developers

The VIAVI AI RAN Scenario Generator (AI RSG) solution recreates the volume, scale, and types of messages moving across the O1, A1, E2 interfaces interface in real-world networks.

RAN Scenario Generation also provides an ideal vehicle for r/xApp training and interoperability testing between multi-vendor O-DU, O-CU, and RIC network elements. The App Validation Engine (AVE) acts as an App "IQ test" to validate if the proposed changes improve RAN efficiency, with no performance impact. In an easy, cost-effective way.

diagram-ric-test-scenarios_0.jpg

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Click on the areas below to learn more:

Does E2 implementation perform according to O-RAN Alliance standards. Measure metrics such as:

  • How many SCTP Links from O-CU/O-DU to RIC
  • How many TPS per E2 interface
  • How many RICs for a large MNO network
  • How many E2 set up messages per second
  • How many UE reports generated per second

r/xAPP Functionality Testing, which establishes how effective are the decisions taken by the r/xAPPs housed on the Near RT RIC. The system measures the effectiveness of r/xAPP recommendations by performing the changes in the emulated RAN, and measuring the change over time to see if the desired improvement is achieved. Areas addressed, but not limited to, are:

  • Traffic steering;
  • Anomaly detection and mitigation;
  • Geolocation r/xApp;
  • Energy Saving,
  • Network slice QoS assurance.

Since messages coming into the RIC need to go over the E2 interface, testing the RIC often requires an emulated network. TeraVM emulates the RAN and its traffic scenarios to stress-test the RIC and identify security vulnerabilities before live deployment. In addition, the risk of malicious Apps that could infect or compromise the network is high. It is important to audit and test all third-party Apps before integrating them into the RIC.

Mutual authentication (or Zero-trust) is used in the RIC to safeguard against breaches and malicious components, but this must be tested to confirm authentication processes are correctly blocking malicious traffic.

Discover more

AI RAN Scenario Generator enables r/xApps to train their algorithms under different scenarios for a complete and all-round RAN experience. With TeraVM AI RAN scenario generator you can emulate traffic scenarios and push them to the r/xApps for a diverse set of UE behaviors and traffic models. This process will expose the r/xApps to the myriad of RAN scenarios it will encounter in Live mode and will train the r/xApp before actual deployment. RAN Scenarios that can be generated:

  • RF/performance anomaly simulations
  • Mobility pattern simulations
  • RF propagation models including pathloss model, indoor/outdoor user pattern emulation
  • Fading (shadow, fast)

Create a virtual environment with buildings, base stations, moving cars, and more. This setup simulates a reliable, scalable, and trusted real-life RAN, generating countless scenarios to fully train and test AI/ML optimization algorithms.

Enhance your RAN Scenario Generation with network realism by incorporating real network traffic patterns and KPIs. This will create a more realistic dataset, reflecting an operator’s network as a Digital Twin.

VIAVI geolocation enablement for r/xApps

Upon deployment, location intelligence provides valuable information about the geographical distribution of network traffic, user behavior, and network performance. When applied to next generation radio networks, geolocation insight is a must to improve decision-making of RIC applications.

VIAVI Geolocation is a foundational component of the RIC that exposes geolocated data to r/xApps, including 24/7 insights on spatial distribution and mobility dynamics of subscribers. It gives unique visibility on devices, network and service performance and it provides context-aware insights that help RIC Apps make better decisions in multiple Near-RT and Non-RT optimization use cases.

By accessing user location and behavior, the App algorithms can:

  • dynamically allocate capacity
  • adjust frequency bands
  • optimize network parameters to meet changing conditions and user demands
  • reduce the overall energy consumption

The VIAVI Geolocation technology for the RIC allows the next generation RAN to be more agile, and deliver higher customer experience with less energy and reduced operational costs.

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Business benefits of leveraging geolocation

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The VIAVI Difference

There's still plenty of industry learning to be achieved, but VIAVI already has the right solutions and expertise to help you boost the RAN Intelligence.

Pivotal Contributions

We participate in the O-RAN ALLIANCE working groups to define RIC standards and we have regular engagement with the O-RAN OSC vendor community.

O-RAN Plugfests

VIAVI conducted conformance, performance, and End-to-End (E2E) interoperability testing at the 2021/2022/2023 Global O-RAN PlugFests. We demonstrated near real-time RIC platform conformance test and r/xApp performance benchmarking with RIC and r/xApps supplied by Nokia, TIM, Capgemini, HCLTech, NEC.

Partnership

We have partnered with VMWare to standardize RIC testing frameworks, "testbed as a service" platforms, and test metrics.

Successful Integration

VIAVI Location Intelligence r/xApp was successfully integrated with industry leading RICs and SMOs, including the VMWare Distributed RIC.

Demonstrations

At MWC23, VIAVI demonstrated how AI RAN Scenario Generator (AI RSG) can be used to train AI/ML models underpinning r/xApps to deliver 10-20% energy savings without negatively impacting QoS. 

AWS Marketplace Approval

AI RAN Scenario Generator (AI RSG) is now available on AWS Marketplace.

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