# Software Defined Networking Enabled Wireless Network Virtualization: Challenges and Solutions

## TL;DR

This paper discusses the challenges and solutions for implementing wireless network virtualization in 5G networks using SDN, focusing on resource allocation, frameworks, and open research issues.

## Contribution

It proposes an SDN-enabled resource allocation framework for wireless network virtualization and provides a case study demonstrating its application.

## Key findings

- SDN facilitates flexible resource allocation in WNV.
- The proposed framework improves network efficiency and customization.
- Open research topics include scalability and security challenges.

## Abstract

Next generation (5G) wireless networks are expected to support the massive data and accommodate a wide range of services/use cases with distinct requirements in a cost-effective, flexible, and agile manner. As a promising solution, wireless network virtualization (WNV), or network slicing, enables multiple virtual networks to share the common infrastructure on demand, and to be customized for different services/use cases. This article focuses on network-wide resource allocation for realizing WNV. Specifically, the motivations, the enabling platforms, and the benefits of WNV, are first reviewed. Then, resource allocation for WNV along with the technical challenges is discussed. Afterwards, a software defined networking (SDN) enabled resource allocation framework is proposed to facilitate WNV, including the key procedures and the corresponding modeling approaches. Furthermore, a case study is provided as an example of resource allocation in WNV. Finally, some open research topics essential to WNV are discussed.