Optimizing Radio Resource Allocation in 5G using Transport Network-Aware Intelligent RAN

The high cost of 5G deployment, driven by the need for more cell sites, has led to new business models such as Neutral Hosting, where a neutral third party offers a shared network infrastructure to be used by multiple MNOs. In these environments, where infrastructure and spectrum sharing are combined, cross-optimization across the 5G network domains is beneficial for effective resource management. In this paper, we present the work done in the 5GECO project, which aims to harmonize decision-making between the 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) and the Transport Network (TN). We define two interfaces, in line with the Open RAN (O-RAN) and Software-Defined Networking (SDN) specifications, between the controllers of the RAN and TN to enable the exchange of telemetry data between these two domains while maintaining their logical separation. We validate our approach through a real-world experimental setup, demonstrating the benefits of exchanging telemetry data to optimize radio resource allocation in the RAN.