Toward Next Generation Open Radio Access Network--What O-RAN Can and Cannot Do!

TL;DR

This paper surveys the O-RAN framework's potential and limitations for 6G RAN development, highlighting key challenges like security and latency, and proposing research directions to enhance its capabilities.

Contribution

It identifies current limitations of O-RAN specifications and discusses R&D opportunities to address critical features needed for 6G wireless networks.

Findings

Majority favor O-RAN for 6G R&D

Highlights security and latency as key challenges

Proposes research directions for O-RAN enhancement

Abstract

The open radio access network (O-RAN) describes an industry-driven open architecture and interfaces for building next generation RANs with artificial intelligence (AI) controllers. We circulated a survey among researchers, developers, and practitioners to gather their perspectives on O-RAN as a framework for 6G wireless research and development (R&D). The majority responded in favor of O-RAN and identified R&D of interest to them. Motivated by these responses, this paper identifies the limitations of the current O-RAN specifications and the technologies for overcoming them. We recognize end-to-end security, deterministic latency, physical layer real-time control, and testing of AI-based RAN control applications as the critical features to enable and discuss R&D opportunities for extending the architectural capabilities of O-RAN as a platform for 6G wireless.