The Radio Access Network (RAN) contributes significantly to the energy consumption of mobile networks and accounts for around 67% of the energy consumption in base stations. Energy efficiency is therefore a key issue in the development of Open-RAN (O-RAN), which will play a key role in future 6G networks. With its open interfaces and disaggregated network elements, O-RAN offers promising potential for energy savings. The core idea is to enable more flexible and dynamic network management in which specialized applications, so-called xApps/rApps, optimize energy consumption without compromising quality of service.
The 5G-ECOnet research project is investigating how energy-efficient operation of O-RAN-based 5G campus networks can be realized. The central questions include: How can network elements be switched on or off without compromising the quality of service? And how can AI/ML techniques be used to optimize performance while reducing energy consumption?
The result of the project is an Energy Saving (ES)-xApp/rApp, which was developed in close collaboration with partners such as AiVader, Keysight Technologies, the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS and exceeding-solutions. An end-to-end scenario was tested in which both the Near-Real-Time RAN Intelligent Controller (Near-RT RIC) and the Non-RT RIC are used. The network elements are managed and orchestrated via a service management and orchestration (SMO) framework. The developed ES-xApp/rApp strictly complies with the O-RAN specifications and thus ensures compatibility with various open source and commercial RICs.
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