Modeling the UE-perceived cellular network performance following a controller-based approach

Abstract During the last few years, mobile communication networks have experienced a huge evolution. This evolution culminates with the arrival of the fifth generation (5G) of mobile communication networks. As a result, the complexity of network management tasks has been increasing and the need to use automatic management algorithms has been demonstrated. However, many mobile network operators (MNOs) are reluctant to evaluate these algorithms in their networks. To address this issue, in this paper, a modeling approach is proposed. In this sense, the behavior of a commercial network, as it is perceived by user equipments (UEs), has been replicated in a research testbed using a three-step modeling process. The first step consists on performing a measurement campaign in several external networks. The second step is composed of the measurement campaign result analysis and the classification of the results in different types of scenarios. Finally, the third step is related to the application of a modeling algorithm in a research testbed. In order to perform the last step, the use of a method based on a controller is proposed. The modeling process presented in this paper allows to replicate the network behavior from users located in different areas and with different conditions point of view. Moreover, the use of a testbed environment can help to avoid downtime in commercial networks caused by possible algorithm bugs.