# SDN - Architectural Enabler for Reliable Communication over Millimeter-Wave 5G Networks

## TL;DR

This paper proposes an SDN-based flexible architecture for mmWave 5G networks to improve reliability and resource coordination during user mobility, ensuring continuous connectivity in dynamic environments.

## Contribution

It introduces a novel SDN-enabled architecture and transmission framework that enhances reliability and seamless operation in mmWave 5G networks with high mobility.

## Key findings

- Proposed architecture improves network resilience during user mobility.
- Simulation results validate the effectiveness of the transmission scheme.
- Ensures at least one base station maintains connection with the user at all times.

## Abstract

Millimeter-wave (mmWave) frequency bands offer a new frontier for next-generation wireless networks, popularly known as 5G, to enable multi-gigabit communication; however, the availability and reliability of mmWave signals are significantly limited due to its unfavorable propagation characteristics. Thus, mmWave networks rely on directional narrow-beam transmissions to overcome severe path-loss. To mitigate the impact of transmission-reception directionality and provide uninterrupted network services, ensuring the availability of mmWave transmission links is important. In this paper, we proposed a new flexible network architecture to provide efficient resource coordination among serving basestations during user mobility. The key idea of this holistic architecture is to exploit the software-defined networking (SDN) technology with mmWave communication to provide a flexible and resilient network architecture. Besides, this paper presents an efficient and seamless uncoordinated network operation to support reliable communication in highly-dynamic environments characterized by high density and mobility of wireless devices. To warrant high-reliability and guard against the potential radio link failure, we introduce a new transmission framework to ensure that there is at least one basestation is connected to the UE at all times. We validate the proposed transmission scheme through simulations.