Network management system and method for a shared radio access network, RAN, infrastructure

1. A network management system for a shared Radio Access Network (RAN) infrastructure provided by a mobile network operator, comprising:

a master operator network manager of the mobile network operator for managing the shared RAN infrastructure;

one or more tenants configured to direct resource requests requesting resource allocations of RAN capacity of the shared RAN infrastructure to the master operator network manager and configured to receive resource allocations from the master operator network manager; and

a capacity or resource broker configured to provide signaling-based admission control for the one or more tenants and to decide on the resource allocations of the RAN capacity to the one or more tenants, wherein the capacity or resource broker resides inside the network of the mobile network operator.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the capacity or resource broker is placed at or is implemented as part of the master operator network manager.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the capacity or resource broker is implemented as a logically centralized network function that is composed by functions that reside on the master operator network manager, on a master operator shared RAN domain manager, on shared network elements of the shared RAN infrastructure, on a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) and/or on a Mobility Management Entity (MME).

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the master operator network manager employs an Integration Reference Point (IRP) manager that is configured to monitor and control shared network elements of the shared RAN infrastructure via an IRP agent that resides in a master operator shared RAN domain manager or network element managers of the shared network elements.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the master operator network manager is configured to enable sharing operator network managers of the one or more tenants to monitor and control the respective allocated resources.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the capacity or resource broker is configured to use network monitoring information that is collected at the master operator network manager for taking resource allocation decisions satisfying service level agreement (SLA) requirements.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more tenants are configured to direct resource requests on-demand to the master operator network manager, and wherein the one or more tenants include a mobile virtual network operator comprising a sharing operator network manager that is configured to receive resource allocations from the master operator network manager on demand.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more tenants include application providers.

9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein a Service Capability Exposure Function that is placed at the master operator network manager is configured to use the capacity or resource broker for capacity and/or service level agreement (SLA) allocations to the application providers.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the resource requests contain at least one of an over the top (OTT) application id, a service provider id, an OTT session id, a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) id, a specification of the requested resources, a type of the request, and a time duration.

11. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the resource requests contain mobility related information, parameters for assisting traffic patterns predictability, and/or connection properties.

12. The system according to claim 1 , wherein an existing 3GPP Int-N interface between the master operator network manager and master operator shared RAN domain managers, the existing 3GPP Int-B interface between the master operator shared RAN domain managers and network elements of the shared RAN infrastructure, and/or an existing 3GPP Type 5 interface between the master operator network manager and sharing operator network managers of the one or more tenants are extended to accommodate information contained in the resource requests.

13. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the Int-N interface between the master operator network manager and the master operator shared RAN domain managers and/or an Int-B interface between the master operator shared RAN domain managers and network elements of the shared RAN infrastructure and/or the Type 5 interface between the master operator network manager and the sharing operator network managers of the one or more tenants are configured to accommodate information regarding an over the top (OTT) application, information regarding an OTT session id, information regarding a service provider id, information regarding a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) id, information on respective cells that are affected by a resource request, information on the resource allocation, on information regarding a type of request, information regarding a resource type, information regarding a time duration, information regarding a quality of service (QoS) and/or update information about offloading policies.

14. The system according to claim 1 , wherein an application API between an application provider and a Service Capability Exposure Function at the master operator network manager is configured to accommodate information regarding an over the top (OTT) id, information regarding an OTT session id, information regarding a list of cells, information on the resource allocation, information on a type of request, information on a resource type, and/or information on a time duration.

15. A method of performing network management for a shared Radio Access Network (RAN) infrastructure provided by a mobile network operator, the method comprising:

managing the shared RAN infrastructure by a master operator network manager of the mobile network operator,

receiving, by the master operator network manager resource, requests from one or more tenants requesting resource allocations of RAN capacity of the shared RAN infrastructure;

sending, to the one or more tenants, resource allocations from the master operator network manager, and

providing signaling-based admission control for the one or more tenants and deciding on the resource allocations of the RAN capacity to the one or more tenants by a capacity or resource broker that resides inside the network of the mobile network operator.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the capacity or resource broker is configured to use network monitoring information that is collected at the master operator network manager for making resource allocation decisions satisfying a service level agreement (SLA).

17. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the one or more tenants are configured to direct resource requests on-demand to the master operator network manager, and wherein the one or more tenants include a mobile virtual network operator comprising a sharing operator network manager that is configured to receive resource allocations from the master operator network manager on demand.

18. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the one or more tenants include application providers.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein a Service Capability Exposure Function that is placed at the master operator network manager is configured to use the capacity or resource broker for capacity and/or service level agreement (SLA) allocations to the application providers.

20. A network management system for a shared Radio Access Network (RAN) infrastructure provided by a mobile network operator, comprising:

a master operator network manager of the mobile network operator for managing the shared RAN infrastructure;

the master operator network manager configured to receive, from one or more tenants, resource requests requesting resource allocations of RAN capacity of the shared RAN infrastructure, and configured to send resource allocations of the RAN capacity to the one or more tenants; and

a capacity or resource broker configured to provide signaling-based admission control for the one or more tenants and to decide on the resource allocations of the RAN capacity to the one or more tenants, wherein the capacity or resource broker resides inside the network of the mobile network operator.