Funded by a $1.9m grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), a new Rice University project is advancing 5G network testing methods.
Rice University engineers are developing a groundbreaking testing framework to assess the stability and energy efficiency of 5G radio access networks.
As 5G networks evolve, it is necessary to develop testing methods to ensure robustness. The project is focusing on communication and computing challenges, studying the barriers posed by the indeterministic behaviour of these environments.
A holistic approach to testing
“Current testing methodologies for wireless products have predominantly focused on the communication dimension, evaluating aspects such as load testing and channel emulation,” said Rahman Doost-Mohammady, assistant research professor of electrical and computer engineering and the project’s principal investigator.
“But with the escalating trend toward software-based wireless products, it’s imperative that we take a more holistic approach to testing.
“Our answer to this critical challenge is ETHOS, an innovative testing framework that not only evaluates communication performance but also considers the impact of computing environments and the intricacies of Machine Learning on RAN software.”
The investments will support the development of new wireless networks
The NTIA has recently announced almost $80m in the third round of grants from the $1.5bn Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund. This fund supports the development of interoperable wireless networks.
Equipment like this will drive competition, strengthen global supply chain resilience, and lower costs for consumers and network operators.
“As part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda, the research and innovation supported by the Wireless Innovation Fund will bolster America’s global technology leadership,” U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said.
“The awards will help set up new facilities to usher in new wireless networks, ultimately leading to more jobs and lower costs for Americans.”
Fine-tuning the 5G network testing framework
Once created, the researchers will conduct extensive testing on the framework’s efficacy and implement new Machine Learning algorithms for 5G radio access networks. The testing will be done on the NVIDIA-supported Aerial Research Cloud platform – a 5G network research sandbox designed to benchmark solutions through over-the-air networks.
The research team are also aiming to engage existing industry contacts for feedback and refining of the framework, to expand collaborations as the project progresses.
“The broader impacts of this project are far-reaching, with the potential to revolutionise software-based and Machine Learning-enabled wireless product testing by making it more comprehensive and responsive to the complexities of real-world network environments,” said Ashutosh Sabharwal, the Ernest Dell Butcher Professor of Engineering, chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the co-principal investigator of the project.
“By providing the industry with advanced tools to evaluate and ensure the stability, energy efficiency and throughput of their products, our research is poised to contribute to the successful deployment of 5G and beyond wireless networks.”
