Large-scale wireless network management via Open-RAN Tandem Apps: Cell on/off switching use case

TL;DR

This paper introduces Tandem Apps, a hierarchical management approach for large-scale wireless networks that improves cell on/off switching efficiency within the O-RAN framework.

Contribution

It proposes a novel architectural design of Tandem Apps for hierarchical optimization, enhancing network management with low complexity and full standard compliance.

Findings

Tandem Apps enable efficient cell on/off switching in large networks.

The approach maintains a global network view with low control overhead.

Validation confirms compatibility with O-RAN standards.

Abstract

With growing mobile-network complexity, management and optimization have become increasingly difficult. Centralized algorithms face high control-data overhead and computational load, while distributed approaches often perform far from optimally. The O-RAN architecture introduces two tiers of RAN Intelligent Controllers (RICs), enabling hierarchical network-management schemes. This work proposes Tandem Apps: a pair of tightly coupled optimization mechanisms running on both controllers. We show how to design Tandem Apps through architectural and functional splitting to achieve an agile, low-complexity solution that still preserves a global network view. As an example, we implement Tandem Apps for cell on/off switching and evaluate them in a large heterogeneous network using real network data. Although the Tandem Apps concept is new, it remains fully compliant with the O-RAN standard, as validated using commercial network software.