Modular Design and Experimental Evaluation of 5G Mobile Cell Architectures Based on Overlay and Integrated Models

2025-08-07

AI Summary

To address coverage and capacity challenges in areas lacking 5G fixed base stations or suffering from adverse wireless conditions, this paper proposes a 5G Mobile Cellular (MC) architecture enabling temporary coverage extension and dynamic capacity augmentation—particularly suited for ports, industrial sites, and public safety applications. We innovatively design and comparatively evaluate two MC deployment paradigms: overlay-based and Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB)-based configurations; systematically analyze their protocol stack adaptability and deployment implications; and introduce a location-optimized deployment strategy. Leveraging OpenAirInterface (OAI), we implement a simulation testbed to empirically assess MC performance under varying base station placements. Results confirm the feasibility of the MC architecture and demonstrate that base station location significantly impacts throughput, latency, and connection stability. This work provides both theoretical foundations and practical validation for flexible, on-demand 5G network deployment.

Technology Category

• Planning, Routing, and Scheduling: Optimization of Spatio-temporal Systems
• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Agent Architectures
• Search and Optimization: Sampling/Simulation-based Search

Application Category

• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Energy management for devices in mobile Web and WoT environments
• Graph Algorithms and Modeling for the Web: Efficient manipulation of static and dynamic Web-related graphs
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: On-Device user modeling, personalization, and recommendation

Abstract

This paper presents the concept, architectural design, and performance evaluation of a 5G Mobile Cell (MC) used to provide 5G wireless connectivity to User Equipment (UE) in areas with limited fixed 5G infrastructures or subject to adverse radio conditions. We consider two main approaches to MC design: an overlay model, where the MC obtains backhaul connectivity from a 5G overlay network, and an Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB)-based model, discussing their protocol stacks and architectural implications. In order to validate the MC's performance, we employ an emulation-based testbed using the OpenAirInterface (OAI) implementation, considering different MC positions. The results validate the MC concept and demonstrate that MC positioning significantly influences network performance. This paper has the potential to aid network operators and service providers in selecting and deploying MC architectures for temporary coverage extension and capacity reinforcement in different environments, including seaports, industrial scenarios, and public safety.

Problem

• Design 5G mobile cells for areas with poor infrastructure
• Compare overlay and IAB-based 5G backhaul models
• Evaluate MC positioning impact on network performance

Innovation

• Modular design for 5G Mobile Cell architectures
• Employs overlay and IAB-based connectivity models
• Uses OpenAirInterface for performance emulation