A Practice on Open RAN Intelligent Platform for Efficient Load Balancing

With the advent of 5G and the increasing complexity of wireless networks, the need for intelligent and open management platforms has become evident. The O-RAN (Open Radio Access Network) Alliance aims to create more interoperable and cost-effective networking solutions by defining interface standards. In particular, the Open RAN specification has broadened the scope of network functions virtualization to include RAN intelligence by incorporating the RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC), which facilitates the integration of AI applications into network functions. This paper discusses how to achieve intelligence in wireless networks through RIC, and how to use AI and big data technologies to optimize wireless network performance, especially in terms of intelligent handover and load balancing. We proposed an intelligent Connection Management xAPP (CM xAPP) and set up an experimental environment to compare the load balancing capabilities between O-RAN architecture with CM xAPP and traditional wireless communication. The experimental results indicate that the proposed CM xAPP achieves better load balancing.