Open Source Summit + Embedded Linux Conference + OSPOCon 2021

The OpenAirInterface (OAI) Software Alliance’s software spans three internal project groups: the RAN, CORE NETWORK and MOSAIC5G Project Groups. This talk gives an overview of the OAI software in these three areas and their interworking. The talk describes how to deploy an end-to-end 5G infrastructure covering the 5G Core Network and the OAI gNB connecting commercial 5G UE devices to the OAI network. The split architecture of the OAI open-source software makes it very suitable for building reference designs in a variety of OpenRAN configurations like CU-DU split, MAC-PHY and fronthaul split parts. The software has already been tested in these split configurations as well as a monolithic package in data-center environments located at OAI labs and in partner PAWR platforms labs in the US. The OAI 5G CN has also been deployed in the cloud that we shall speak about. We further address developments in the context of the MOSAIC5G Project Group which allow for the connectivity of the OAI gNB to third-party near Real-Time (RT) RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) through a software controller called the FlexRIC which encompasses the O-RAN E2 interface. A similar controller sitting on top of the Core Network, called the FlexCN, allows for controlling the 5G CN for configuration and monitoring purposes. Following the talk, we shall show a demo of the end-to-end connectivity of the OAI 5G software.