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Experimental comparison of 5G SDR platforms: srsRAN x OpenAirInterface

Ruan P. Alves, Joao Guilherme A. da S. Alves, Mikael R. Camelo, Wilker O. de Feitosa, Victor F. Monteiro, Fco. Rodrigo P. Cavalcanti

TL;DR

This work compares two prominent open-source 5G SDR platforms, srsRAN and OpenAirInterface, through a lab-based end-to-end testbed using distinct CN implementations. It documents deployment experiences, interoperability with Open5GS and oaicn CNs, and objective performance metrics (SpeedTest, iPerf, latency, and video quality) across two configurations. The findings show that OpenAirInterface offers higher throughput due to 256-QAM support and greater flexibility, while srsRAN is easier to install and more beginner-friendly; both platforms are viable for private 5G experiments, enabling applications ranging from real-time video to network optimization research. The results highlight practical trade-offs between ease of use and configurability, informing researchers’ choice of platform for private 5G deployments and future extensions such as RRM experiments and ML-driven network management.

Abstract

A Software-Defined Radio (SDR) platform is a communication system that implements as software functions that are typically implemented in dedicated hardware. One of its main advantages is the flexibility to test and deploy radio communication networks in a fast and cheap way. In the context of the Fifth Generation (5G) of wireless cellular networks, there are open source SDR platforms available online. Two of the most popular SDR platforms are srsRAN and OpenAirInterface. This paper presents these two platforms, the characteristics of the networks created by them, the possibilities of changes in their interfaces and configurations, and also their limits. Moreover, in this paper, we also evaluate and compare both platforms in an experimental setup deployed in a laboratory.

Experimental comparison of 5G SDR platforms: srsRAN x OpenAirInterface

TL;DR

This work compares two prominent open-source 5G SDR platforms, srsRAN and OpenAirInterface, through a lab-based end-to-end testbed using distinct CN implementations. It documents deployment experiences, interoperability with Open5GS and oaicn CNs, and objective performance metrics (SpeedTest, iPerf, latency, and video quality) across two configurations. The findings show that OpenAirInterface offers higher throughput due to 256-QAM support and greater flexibility, while srsRAN is easier to install and more beginner-friendly; both platforms are viable for private 5G experiments, enabling applications ranging from real-time video to network optimization research. The results highlight practical trade-offs between ease of use and configurability, informing researchers’ choice of platform for private 5G deployments and future extensions such as RRM experiments and ML-driven network management.

Abstract

A Software-Defined Radio (SDR) platform is a communication system that implements as software functions that are typically implemented in dedicated hardware. One of its main advantages is the flexibility to test and deploy radio communication networks in a fast and cheap way. In the context of the Fifth Generation (5G) of wireless cellular networks, there are open source SDR platforms available online. Two of the most popular SDR platforms are srsRAN and OpenAirInterface. This paper presents these two platforms, the characteristics of the networks created by them, the possibilities of changes in their interfaces and configurations, and also their limits. Moreover, in this paper, we also evaluate and compare both platforms in an experimental setup deployed in a laboratory.
Paper Structure (5 sections, 5 figures, 1 table)

This paper contains 5 sections, 5 figures, 1 table.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Background on 5G SDR-based Networks
  3. Implementation Methodology
  4. Results and discussions
  5. Conclusions and future perspectives

Figures (5)

  • Figure 1: Simplified architecture of a 5G/NR network.
  • Figure 2: Environment of the deployed SDR network. ue's on the left, cn + gnb on the right.
  • Figure 3: Screenshots of the tests with Google Meet and SpeedTest, both conducted with oai configuration 1.
  • Figure 4: Example of throughput temporal evolution measured by iPerf.
  • Figure 5: Example of latency temporal evolution for both platforms with configuration 1.