Optimizing Coverage and Capacity in 5G ORAN Small Cells with srsRAN Test Bed

The open-source srsRAN software suite testbeds have become an increasingly important tool for the development and testing of private 5G networks by research community. In recent years, private 5G network deployments have become increasingly prevalent among enterprises seeking to enhance indoor wireless coverage and connectivity. In this work, we present the results of an enhanced private 5G small cell srsRAN testbed which is in compliance with the ORAN (Open Radio Access Network) architecture. The testbed configuration specifications include the utilization of the n78/C-band sub-6 GHz spectrum, a 2×2 MIMO antenna array, a 20 MHz transmission bandwidth, and an initial RF input power of approximately 8 dBm. The core hardware components include a B210 USRP software-defined radio, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) processor and 5G user equipment (UE). To further enhance the coverage capabilities, the system design was supplemented with the integration of two power amplifier (PA) units, model BT-100, situated at the transmission end, as well as a low-noise amplifier (LNA), model BT-200, positioned at the reception end. Additionally, the system underwent software-based parametric optimization, which enabled the utilization of uplink and downlink MIMO configurations as well as 256-QAM modulation to enhance the overall system performance. Through systematic testing and evaluation, we demonstrate the impact of these hardware and software enhancements on key performance indicators (KPIs) which include downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) throughput, signal strength (DL RSRP) and latency.