Periodic Reporting for period 2 - FUDGE-5G (FUlly DisinteGrated private nEtworks for 5G verticals)
Reporting period: 2021-09-01 to 2023-03-31
The main objective of FUDGE-5G is to devise, assess and demonstrate a conceptually novel and forward-looking cloud-native and unified service-based 5G architecture, solutions and systems for private networks (aka Non-Public Networks (NPN)) in 5G. FUDGE-5G efforts are focused to enable extreme interoperability and customization for industry verticals among wired and wireless access infrastructure (“all-Ethernet” 5GLAN with 5G-Multicast and 5G-TSN support), eSBA platform, cloud-native 5G Core (5GC), service orchestration and vertical applications. FUDGE-5G aims to accelerate the (inevitable) shift to a fully software-based 5GC network by offering a disintegrated environment where components, both in control and user plane, can be deployed anywhere as micro-services (i.e. edge, on premises and cloud), being agnostic to the underlying infrastructure. This softwarization of a 5GC coupled with cloud-native procedures will enable the usage of off-the-shelf commodity HW to deliver additional cost savings, faster deployments and ultimately greater adoption for private networks.
The FUDGE-5G project towards all seven objectives outlined in the grant agreement around the topics of integrating and testing fully disintegrated private networks for 5G verticals. Based upon five innovative vertical use cases for private 5G networks, the project defined the KPIs and a validation framework to demonstrate the advances of 5G private networks. Furthermore, the project designed a technical blueprint enabling the evolution of Service-Based Architecture (SBA) in mobile networks, positioning core capabilities, such as service routing, resource scheduling, orchestration, and monitoring, between the services layer (5GC Network Functions) and the infrastructure (NFV orchestrator and/or SDN switching fabric). The technical blueprint then served as the baseline architecture in the 5G-PPP Technology Board whitepaper on Non-Public Networks, discussing the advances of private networks over public ones, in particular around network customisation capabilities while being still fully standard compliant (as in 3GPP).
To further devise the realisation of innovative 5G technology elements, FUDGE-5G implemented 5GLAN, 5G-TSN, 5G-Multicast and Roaming for interconnected NPNs and tested it over COTS RAN and UE solutions either in one of the five use cases (5GLAN, 5G-TSN) or within the lab (5G-Multicast). While solutions for 5GLAN, TSN and Multicast are standardised in Release 16 and 17 already, FUDGE-5G had to innovate on realising these solutions over UE and RAN solutions that do not offer multicast or broadcast capabilities on the layers below OSI Layer 3. The interconnection of NPNs is even a topic that is not standardised at the moment, demonstrating the forwarding-looking nature of the related use case.
A key effort and success within the project were the effective pipelining of implementing features within organisations, integrating them within the offered sandbox or within a lab, and bring them into the trial sites for final testing and refinement. The advances in cloud-native procedures around deployment and management of fully softwarised 5GCs and vertical applications fostered the integration work of the project and reflect the advances in 5G over its predecessors.
Each of the five use cases had a different vertical stakeholder, making them truly independent in their applicability and unique in their validation. While FUDGE-5G partners could validate their technologies outside lab environments, verticals in particular had strong interest learning the capabilities of 5G and what 5G can bring to them as a wireless technology. The findings were shared in deliverables and in workshops with the verticals, demonstrating the productive conversation by mobile network operators and vendors, and verticals.
During the final analysis of individual innovations developed in the context of the project, 12 innovations were identified and assessed against potential exploitation opportunities. Furthermore, with 34 standard contributions to organisations such as 3GPP, IETF/IRTF, NGMN, and NATO, FUDGE-5G successfully delivered on its promises to impact standardisation. The project also delivered on intellectual property generation directly out of the project (11 filings with 2 cases as already granted) and scientific publications (12 accepted) as core metrics for industry and academia to demonstrate impact.
To further devise the realisation of innovative 5G technology elements, FUDGE-5G implemented 5GLAN, 5G-TSN, 5G-Multicast and Roaming for interconnected NPNs and tested it over COTS RAN and UE solutions either in one of the five use cases (5GLAN, 5G-TSN) or within the lab (5G-Multicast). While solutions for 5GLAN, TSN and Multicast are standardised in Release 16 and 17 already, FUDGE-5G had to innovate on realising these solutions over UE and RAN solutions that do not offer multicast or broadcast capabilities on the layers below OSI Layer 3. The interconnection of NPNs is even a topic that is not standardised at the moment, demonstrating the forwarding-looking nature of the related use case.
A key effort and success within the project were the effective pipelining of implementing features within organisations, integrating them within the offered sandbox or within a lab, and bring them into the trial sites for final testing and refinement. The advances in cloud-native procedures around deployment and management of fully softwarised 5GCs and vertical applications fostered the integration work of the project and reflect the advances in 5G over its predecessors.
Each of the five use cases had a different vertical stakeholder, making them truly independent in their applicability and unique in their validation. While FUDGE-5G partners could validate their technologies outside lab environments, verticals in particular had strong interest learning the capabilities of 5G and what 5G can bring to them as a wireless technology. The findings were shared in deliverables and in workshops with the verticals, demonstrating the productive conversation by mobile network operators and vendors, and verticals.
During the final analysis of individual innovations developed in the context of the project, 12 innovations were identified and assessed against potential exploitation opportunities. Furthermore, with 34 standard contributions to organisations such as 3GPP, IETF/IRTF, NGMN, and NATO, FUDGE-5G successfully delivered on its promises to impact standardisation. The project also delivered on intellectual property generation directly out of the project (11 filings with 2 cases as already granted) and scientific publications (12 accepted) as core metrics for industry and academia to demonstrate impact.
FUDGE-5G is showing the feasibility of cloud-native and European-made technologies for 5G private networks. Cloud-native enabled components allow for quick customization via scalability and elasticity while keeping the high availability inherent to cloud technologies. The components also feature Rel-16/Rel-17 key enabler technologies: 5G-based Cell Broadcast, 5G-TSN, 5GLAN and 5G-Multicast. The project features an Interconnected NPNs use case, a scenario not supported in current 5G specifications.
FUDGE-5G aimed and succeeded in creating a beyond Service-Based Architecture, disintegrated and automated platform, where the lifecycle of the different 5G components is being orchestrated. This platform provides unified service routing, telemetry, and orchestration capabilities to 5GCs in a most transparent manner avoiding strong technology-specific dependencies. The platform has been deployed in IDE testbed in London and features every 5G Core provided by the consortium members, and the Vertical Application Orchestrator to on-board 3rd party apps into it.
Verticals that currently benefit from 4G private networks have seen a KPI upgrade when switching to 5G, while the easier access to licensed 5G spectrum enables new businesses such as remote media production or Industry 4.0 local 5G networks.
FUDGE-5G aimed and succeeded in creating a beyond Service-Based Architecture, disintegrated and automated platform, where the lifecycle of the different 5G components is being orchestrated. This platform provides unified service routing, telemetry, and orchestration capabilities to 5GCs in a most transparent manner avoiding strong technology-specific dependencies. The platform has been deployed in IDE testbed in London and features every 5G Core provided by the consortium members, and the Vertical Application Orchestrator to on-board 3rd party apps into it.
Verticals that currently benefit from 4G private networks have seen a KPI upgrade when switching to 5G, while the easier access to licensed 5G spectrum enables new businesses such as remote media production or Industry 4.0 local 5G networks.