Multi-access virtualized radio access network
A system and method for providing a multi-access virtualized radio access network includes a multi-access centralized unit (MA CU) for serving a plurality of access networks using different communication protocols with a common access granting function, a common user plane buffering and sequencing, a common header compression, common security plane, and a common quality of service mapping for the plurality of access networks. An MA CU includes a wireless interface performing network access functions between wireless networking devices using a cellular communication protocol and a core network using the cellular communication protocol and a wireline interface for performing network access functions between wireline networking devices using a wireline communication protocol and the core network using the cellular communication protocol. A multi-access distributed unit and several network topologies are also disclosed.
1 . A multi-access centralized unit (MA CU) for a virtualized radio access network, comprising:
a wireless interface performing network access functions between wireless networking devices using a cellular communication protocol and a core network using the cellular communication protocol; and
a wireline interface for performing network access functions between wireline networking devices using a wireline communication protocol and the core network using the cellular communication protocol;
a processor and a non-transitory memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, perform converged header compression between the core network and both the wireless networking devices and the wireline networking devices, the converged header compression including traffic aggregation using a common state with respect to both the wireless interface and the wireline interface.
2 . The MA CU of claim 1 , wherein both the wireless interface and the wireline interface connect to a single access granting function in the core network for authenticating wireless and wireline networking devices.
3 . The MA CU of claim 1 , wherein both wireless networking devices and wireline networking devices are maintained in a single subscriber database in the core network.
4 . The MA CU of claim 1 , wherein the MA CU provides a converged service data adaption protocol for both the wireless and wireline networking devices.
5 . The MA CU of claim 4 , wherein both wireless networking devices and wireline networking devices access the same control plane and user plane in the core network.
6 . The MA CU of claim 5 , further comprising:
additional non-transitory memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, perform converged quality of service (QOS) mapping between the core network and both the wireless networking devices and the wireline networking devices.
7 . The MA CU of claim 6 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to map a QoS from the core network to a common set of traffic classifiers.
8 . The MA CU of claim 5 , wherein the MA CU provides a converged packet handling protocol for both wireless and wireline networking devices.
9 . The MA CU of claim 1 , further comprising:
additional non-transitory memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, perform converged ciphers and integrity protection between the core network and both the wireless networking devices and the wireline networking devices.
10 . The multi-access vRAN of claim 1 , the multi-access vRAN providing hybrid access to a single device using both the wireless interface and the wireline interface.
11 . A multi-access virtualized radio access network (vRAN), comprising:
a multi-access centralized unit (MA CU) for performing network access functions to a converged core network using a cellular communication protocol, the MA CU including a processor and a non-transitory memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, perform converged header compression between the core network and both a wireless networking device and a wireline networking device, the converged header compression including traffic aggregation using a common state with respect to both a wireless interface and a wireline interface; and
a hybrid residential gateway (RG) for performing access functions between user equipment (UEs) using the cellular communication protocol and the MA CU, and between UEs using a wireline communication protocol and the MA CU.
12 . The multi-access vRAN of claim 11 , wherein the MA CU performs common ciphering for user packets originated using the cellular communication protocol and user packets originated using the wireline communication protocol.
13 . The multi-access vRAN of claim 12 , wherein the MA CU multiplexes user packets originated using the cellular communication protocol and user packets originated using the wireline communication protocol.
14 . A method of providing wireless services to wireline networking devices, comprising:
providing a wireless interface in a common centralized unit (CU) of a virtualized radio access network (vRAN), the wireless interface performing network access functions between wireless networking devices using a cellular communication protocol and a core network using the cellular communication protocol;
providing a wireline interface in the common centralized unit (CU) for performing network access functions between wireline networking devices using a wireline communication protocol and the core network using the cellular communication protocol; and
bridging network access functions performed by the wireline interface to network access functions performed by the wireless interface;
performing converged header compression between the core network and both the wireless networking devices and the wireline networking devices, the converged header compression including traffic aggregation using a common state with respect to both the wireless interface and the wireline interface.
15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising using a converged policy control function of to apply a traffic policy to a data session traversing the wireline communication link.
16 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising using a converged network slice function to form at least one network slice on the wireline communication link.
17 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising providing a single quality of service (QoS) traffic management policy for the wireless interface and the wireline interface.
18 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising providing hybrid access to a single device using both the wireless interface and the wireline interface.