Open RAN-empowered V2X Architecture: Challenges, Opportunities, and Research Directions
Francesco Linsalata, Eugenio Moro, Maurizio Magarini, Umberto Spagnolini, Antonio Capone
TL;DR
The paper addresses the challenge of enabling reliable V2X in future 6G networks given high-frequency propagation and dynamic vehicular environments. It proposes Open RAN as a flexible platform to orchestrate V2X via xApps for local control and rApps for global policies, enabling real-time data collection and decision making. Key contributions include integration strategies for E2 interfaces and O1/O2 control rails, and four research directions—resources allocation, beam management, relay assignment, and digital twin-enabled V2X—and first simulation results. The results suggest that O-RAN empowered V2X can achieve higher connectivity under blockage than direct V2X baselines, underscoring the approach’s potential for improved reliability and scalability in future networks.
Abstract
Advances in the automotive industry and the ever-increasing demand for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) are pushing for a new epoch of networked wireless systems. Vehicular communications, or Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X), are expected to be among the main actors of the future beyond 5G and 6G networks. However, the challenging application requirements, the fast variability of the vehicular environment, and the harsh propagation conditions of high frequencies call for sophisticated control mechanisms to ensure the success of such a disruptive technology. While traditional Radio Access Networks (RAN) lack the flexibility to support the required control primitives, the emergent concept of Open RAN (O-RAN) appears as an ideal enabler of V2X communication orchestration. However, effectively integrating the two ecosystems is still an open issue. This paper discusses possible integration strategies, highlighting the challenges and opportunities of leveraging O-RAN to enable real-time V2X control. Additionally, we enrich our discussion with potential research directions stemming from the current state-of-the-art, and we provide preliminary simulation results that validate the effectiveness of the proposed integration.