Prototyping gNBs for Non-Public Networks

Abstract

Non-Public Networks (NPN), also known as Mobile Private Networks (MPN), can offer on-demand connectivity to industry sectors through base station deployments based on the SDR (Software Defined Radio) paradigm, combining the required 5G protocols with general-purpose hardware that provides a flexible and low-cost solution. This paper presents two RF front-ends for 5G base stations (gNB) built from low-cost and flexible commercial components in terms of operating bands and studies their performance in terms of throughput, latency, and coverage area measured in suburban and urban areas. Finally, measurements in an experimental environment are presented as a benchmark for 5G network deployments.