Work

Realizing Flexible and Practical Multi-BS Cooperation with a Fully-Decoupled RAN Architecture

Year: 2025

Type: conference-paper

Abstract: The current RAN lacks flexibility due to tightly coupled UL/DL, making it difficult to handle increasingly asymmetric UL/DL traffic and realize multi-BS cooperation. To overcome these limitations, we proposed a Fully-Decoupled RAN (FD-RAN) architecture that splits the gNB functionalities into specialized Control-BS, Uplink-BS, and Downlink-BS entities, decoupling control/data planes and UL/DL paths. This demo showcases the first FD-RAN hardware prototype, implemented by SDR-based BSs and UEs, and an x86 server-based core network. Our live demonstration presents UE initial access and dynamic resource allocation over control plane, location-based feedback-free cooperative downlink transmission, and uplink joint reception, validating FD-RAN's feasibility for flexible and practical muti-BS cooperation.

DOI: 10.1145/3744969.3748434

Authors: Yuhang Shi, Jiacheng Chen, Haibo Zhou

Institutions: Nanjing University, Peng Cheng Laboratory

Language: English

Topic: Advanced MIMO Systems Optimization

Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: gold

Funder: National Natural Science Foundation of China

Awards: G6351160237, G8708255593