4G/5G core interworking

1. A virtualizing and interworking gateway, comprising:

a virtual 4G core providing for 4G networks a plurality of virtualized 4G network functions;

a virtual 5G core providing for 5G networks a plurality of virtualized 5G network functions;

an interface to a core network;

an interface to a 4G Radio Access Network (RAN);

an interface to a 5G RAN;

an Interworking Function (IWF) and wherein the IWF interworks signaling between the 4G virtual core and 5G virtual core;

wherein inter-Radio Access Technology (RAT) handovers use sideband information channels between the virtual 4G core and the virtual 5G core;

wherein the inter-RAT handovers use a phantom 5G core network to send information to the 5G aware 4G evolved packet core (EPC); and

wherein the virtualizing and interworking gateway provides interworking 4G to 5G such that a 5G RAN works with a 4G core.

2. The virtualizing and interworking gateway of claim 1 , further comprising a data store supporting the virtual 4G core and the virtual 5G core.

3. The virtualizing and interworking gateway of claim 1 wherein the inter-RAT handovers use a module defined between the virtualizing and interworking gateway and the 4G core to translate the inter-RAT handover to an intra-RAT handover.

4. A method for 4G and 5G core interworking, comprising:

providing a HetNet gateway (HNG), the HNG comprising:

a virtual 4G core providing for 4G networks a plurality of virtualized 4G network functions;

a virtual 5G core providing for 5G networks a plurality of virtualized 5G network functions;

an interface to a core network;

an interface to a 4G Radio Access Network (RAN); and

an interface to a 5G RAN;

interworking, by the HNG, 4G to 5G such that a 5G RAN works with a 4G core;

interworking using an Interworking Function (IWF) wherein the IWF interworks signaling between the 4G virtual core and 5G virtual core;

using sideband information channels between the virtual 4G core and the virtual 5G core for inter-Radio Access Technology (RAT) handovers;

using a phantom 5G core network to send information to the 5G-aware 4G evolved packet core (EPC) for the inter-RAT handovers; and

providing, by the virtualizing and interworking gateway, interworking 4G to 5G such that a 5G RAN works with a 4G core.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising supporting, by a data store of the HNG, the virtual 4G core and the virtual 5G core.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising using a module defined between the HNG and the 4G core to translate the inter-RAT handover to an intra-RAT handover.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions for 4G and 5G core interworking, which, when executed, cause a HetNet Gateway (HNG) perform steps comprising:

providing a virtual 4G core providing for 4G networks a plurality of virtualized 4G network functions, a virtual 5G core providing for 5G networks a plurality of virtualized 5G network functions;

an interface to a core network, an interface to a 4G Radio Access Network (RAN), and an interface to a 5G RAN; and

providing interworking 4G to 5G such that a 5G RAN works with a 4G core;

interworking using an Interworking Function (IWF) wherein the IWF interworks signaling between the 4G virtual core and 5G virtual core;

using sideband information channels between the virtual 4G core and the virtual 5G core for inter-Radio Access Technology (RAT) handovers;

using a phantom 5G core network to send information to the 5G-aware 4G evolved packet core (EPC) for the inter-RAT handovers; and

providing, by the virtualizing and interworking gateway, interworking 4G to 5G such that a 5G RAN works with a 4G core.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7 , further comprising instructions for providing a data store supporting the virtual 4G core and the virtual 5G core.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 7 further comprising instructions wherein the inter-RAT handovers use a module defined between the HNG and the 4G core to translate the inter-RAT handover to an intra-RAT handover.