arXiv subjects

Ryan Barker

Publications and source records attributed to Ryan Barker.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Hierarchical Cooperative MARL for Joint Downlink PRB and Power Allocation in a 5G System

Efficient downlink radio resource management in 5G requires jointly optimizing user scheduling and transmit-power allocation under time-varying wireless conditions. This is challenging in OFDMA systems because PRB assignment is combinatorial, power allocation is continuous, and performance depends on channel evolution, link adaptation, and long-term fairness. We propose a hierarchical cooperative multi-agent reinforcement learning framework with staged curriculum training for joint downlink PRB and power allocation in a physically grounded 5G environment. System-level simulation is implemented in Sionna, while Sionna RT supports wireless scene construction and mobility-aware ray-traced channel generation. The control task is decomposed into two sequential stages: a PRB agent learns user-level resource shares, which are converted to exact PRB assignments by a deterministic channel-aware quota resolver, and a power agent distributes the base-station power budget across users and their assigned PRB-symbol resources. The framework operates in a cross-layer loop with adaptive modulation and coding, HARQ feedback, outer-loop link adaptation, and a fairness-aware reward based on smoothed throughput and Jain's fairness index. Training stability is improved through a three-phase curriculum for PRB allocation, power control, and joint fine-tuning. Under matched channel realizations, we compare against a PF scheduler with equal-power transmission and two ablations isolating the learned PRB and power-control components. Results show that both learned components improve throughput distribution relative to PF, while the full PRB and power controller achieves the largest cell-throughput gain with only a modest reduction in Jain's fairness index.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2026

AIIM: Adaptive Inter-cell Interference Mitigation for Heterogeneous Multi-vendor 5G O-RAN Networks

Inter-cell interference is a persistent issue in dense 5G deployments, especially in heterogeneous Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) environments where coordination between base stations is limited. This paper presents AIIM, an adaptive inter-cell interference mitigation xApp for the O-RAN near-real-time RAN Intelligent Controller (near-RT RIC) that performs coordinated physical resource block (PRB) allocation across multiple base stations under diverse traffic demands and channel conditions. Unlike prior studies that rely primarily on simulation or fully hardware-centric testbeds, AIIM is developed and evaluated in a full-stack O-RAN system built on srsRAN, Open5GS, and O-RAN Software Community (ORAN-SC), and deployed on a hybrid experimental platform that simultaneously combines software defined radio (SDR)-based and virtual gNodeBs (gNBs) and user equipment (UEs). This design preserves realistic PHY-layer interactions while substantially improving scalability, reproducibility, and cost-effectiveness for multi-cell interference experiments. AIIM explicitly models overlapping PRB regions across neighboring cells and learns coordinated allocation policies that adapt to per-user QoS demand and pathloss variation across the network. Experimental results show that AIIM improves QoS satisfaction and reduces interference-induced PRB loss relative to proportional-fair scheduling baselines while maintaining comparable aggregate network throughput. These results demonstrate the promise of scalable, learning-driven O-RAN control for practical interference management in heterogeneous multi-gNB 5G networks.\footnote{A video demonstration of the running system can be found at https://github.com/sireinders/AIIM-Multi-gNB-Interference.git.}

cs.NI↗

arXiv2026

MORPH: Multi-Environment Orchestrated Reinforcement Learning for PRB Handling in O-RAN

Reinforcement-learning (RL) solutions for dynamic spectrum access and radio resource management in Open Radio Access Networks (O-RAN) depend critically on the fidelity of the throughput signal used for training. Analytical or physical-layer (PHY)-only simulators scale well but often miss protocol-stack effects such as signaling overhead and retransmissions, whereas exhaustive throughput profiling on a standards-compliant 5G stack is slow and can be unstable under software execution constraints. This paper presents MORPH, a measurement-grounded multi-environment RL pipeline {for slice-aware PRB-level spectrum allocation (spectrum sharing and slice isolation within a single gNB)} built on OpenAirInterface (OAI) 5G-NR RF-simulator mode. MORPH leverages three complementary throughput sources: (i) application-layer throughput measured via \texttt{iPerf} on the OAI stack under controlled AWGN pathloss settings, (ii) empirical MCS-selection distributions conditioned on path loss, enabling a distribution-aware theoretical throughput estimator that reflects standards-compliant link adaptation, and (iii) scalable throughput estimates from a 3GPP-parameterized PHY-fidelity OFDM simulator. Using these components, we train and compare agents that differ only in the origin of their throughput feedback: an OAI-grounded practical agent, a simulator-driven agent, and MORPH, which fuses real and synthetic throughput signals for policy optimization. Evaluation on the OAI execution harness across heterogeneous slicing scenarios shows that MORPH yields more robust slice-wise performance and improved SLA compliance than single-source training, providing a practical foundation for PRB-level spectrum sharing and slice isolation within a single-cell stack and a stepping stone toward multi-cell spectrum coordination and interference management.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2026

AtlasRAN: Timing-Aware Evaluation of Open-source 5G Platforms for Integrated Wireless Testbeds

Open-source fifth-generation (5G) and Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) experiments span simulation, host operating system (host-OS) emulation, software-defined radio hardware-in-the-loop testing, Open Radio Unit fronthaul deployments, wireless digital twins, and accelerator-backed radio access network (RAN) runtimes. These environments may expose similar interfaces while preserving different timing, input/output, synchronization, buffering, transport, and observability; functional compatibility is therefore not timing fidelity. This paper presents AtlasRAN, a claim-to-capability framework for deciding what an open-source 5G platform can credibly measure. It combines two reference paths, an execution-regime matrix, and a measurement-backed case study comparing OpenAirInterface (OAI) radio-frequency simulator (RFSim) with the Sionna Research Kit (Sionna-RK), which offloads low-density parity-check (LDPC) decoding to CUDA while retaining the surrounding OAI host-OS path. From one to six users, aggregate uplink goodput falls from 114.59 to 35.09 Mb/s for OAI and from 103.34 to 35.01 Mb/s for Sionna-RK. At six users, both RFSim real-time factors are approximately 0.55, despite estimated cumulative LDPC work of 1.09~ms per transport block for OAI and 0.37 ms for Sionna-RK. Timing-normalized service remains 60.7-63.6~Mb per emulated second across complete runs, while falling host and accelerator utilization is consistent with an under-fed decoder. A twelve-user run is retained only as failure-region evidence because end-of-test traffic summaries are absent. The practical takeaway is that integrated wireless testbeds, edge platforms, artificial-intelligence-enabled RANs, and digital twins should report timing discipline, transport path, memory movement, and observability as first-class experimental variables.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2026

Six Times to Spare: Characterizing GPU-Accelerated 5G LDPC Decoding for Edge-RSU Communications

Ultra-reliable low-latency vehicular communications (URLLC) require sufficient physical-layer (PHY) compute headroom at the network edge, where roadside units (RSUs) and compact next-generation base stations (gNBs) must meet strict timing constraints while co-hosting higher-layer services. In 5G New Radio (5G NR), low-density parity-check code (LDPC) decoding is a latency-sensitive iterative PHY workload whose cost scales with both workload parallelism and decoder iteration budget, making it a potential bottleneck on general-purpose central processing units (CPUs). This paper presents a reproducible, telemetry-backed microbenchmark derived from the Sionna LDPC5G baseline to characterize the compute headroom obtained through graphics processing unit (GPU) offload on compact heterogeneous edge platforms. We evaluate decoder behavior across multiple processor architectures and a wide range of batch sizes and iteration counts, with emphasis on dense operating regimes relevant to edge provisioning. Results show that GPU acceleration substantially increases LDPC throughput, reduces amortized decode service time, and shifts compute pressure away from the CPU, thereby improving the feasibility of meeting edge-RSU timing budgets under heavy parallel workloads. These findings indicate that GPU offload can provide substantial spare PHY compute margin for compact vehicular edge platforms, making dense decode workloads more practical within realistic edge power and timing constraints.

cs.DC↗

arXiv2025

Securing Open RAN: A Survey of Cryptographic Challenges and Emerging Solutions for 5G

The advent of Open Radio Access Networks (O-RAN) introduces modularity and flexibility into 5G deployments but also surfaces novel security challenges across disaggregated interfaces. This literature review synthesizes recent research across thirteen academic and industry sources, examining vulnerabilities such as cipher bidding-down attacks, partial encryption exposure on control/user planes, and performance trade-offs in securing O-RAN interfaces like E2 and O1. The paper surveys key cryptographic tools -- SNOW-V, AES-256, and ZUC-256 -- evaluating their throughput, side-channel resilience, and adaptability to heterogeneous slices (eMBB, URLLC, mMTC). Emphasis is placed on emerging testbeds and AI-driven controllers that facilitate dynamic orchestration, anomaly detection, and secure configuration. We conclude by outlining future research directions, including hardware offloading, cross-layer cipher adaptation, and alignment with 3GPP TS 33.501 and O-RAN Alliance security mandates, all of which point toward the need for integrated, zero-trust architectures in 6G.

cs.CR↗

arXiv2025

Virtualizing RAN: Science, Strategy, and Architecture of Software-Defined Mobile Networks

Virtualizing the Radio-Access Network (RAN) is increasingly viewed as an enabler of affordable 5G expansion and a stepping-stone toward AI-native 6G. Most discussions, however, still approach spectrum policy, cloud engineering and organizational practice as separate topics. This paper offers an integrated perspective spanning four pillars -- science, technology, business strategy and culture. A comparative U.S.\ case study illustrates how mid-band contiguity, complemented by selective mmWave capacity layers, can improve both coverage and churn when orchestrated through software-defined carrier aggregation. We derive analytic capacity and latency bounds for Split 7.2 $\times$ vRAN/O-RAN deployments, quantify the throughput penalty of end-to-end 256-bit encryption, and show how GPU/FPGA off-load plus digital-twin-driven automation keeps the hybrid-automatic-repeat request (HARQ) round-trip within a 0.5 ms budget. When these technical enablers are embedded in a physics-first delivery roadmap, average vRAN cycle time drops an order of magnitude -- even in the presence of cultural head-winds such as dual-ladder'' erosion. Three cybernetic templates -- the Clock-Hierarchy Law, Ashby's Requisite Variety and a delay-cost curve -- are then used to explain why silo-constrained automation can amplify, rather than absorb, integration debt. Looking forward, silicon-paced 6G evolution (9-12 month node shrinks, sub-THz joint communication-and-sensing, chiplet architectures and optical I/O) calls for a dual-resolution planning grid that couples five-year spectrum physics with six-month silicon sprints.'' The paper closes with balanced, action-oriented recommendations for operators, vendors and researchers on sub-THz fronthaul, AI-native security, energy-proportional accelerators and zero-touch assurance.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2025

Advancements in Mobile Edge Computing and Open RAN: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Wireless Systems

Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) and Open Radio Access Networks (ORAN) are transformative technologies in the development of next-generation wireless communication systems. MEC pushes computational resources closer to end-users, enabling low latency and efficient processing, while ORAN promotes interoperability and openness in radio networks, thereby fostering innovation. This paper explores recent advancements in these two domains, with a particular focus on how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) techniques are being utilized to solve complex wireless challenges. In MEC, Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) is leveraged for optimizing computation offloading, ensuring energy-efficient solutions, and meeting Quality of Service (QoS) requirements. In ORAN, AI/ML is used to develop intelligent xApps for network slicing, scheduling, and online training to enhance network adaptability. This reading report provides an in-depth analysis of multiple key papers, discusses the methodologies employed, and highlights the impact of these technologies in improving network efficiency and scalability.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2025

From DeepSense to Open RAN: AI/ML Advancements in Dynamic Spectrum Sensing and Their Applications

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in next-generation wireless communication systems has become a cornerstone for advancing intelligent, adaptive, and scalable networks. This reading report examines key innovations in dynamic spectrum sensing (DSS), beginning with the foundational DeepSense framework, which uses convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and spectrogram-based analysis for real-time wideband spectrum monitoring. Building on this groundwork, it highlights advancements such as DeepSweep and Wideband Signal Stitching, which address the challenges of scalability, latency, and dataset diversity through parallel processing, semantic segmentation, and robust data augmentation strategies. The report then explores Open Radio Access Networks (ORAN), focusing on AI/ML-driven enhancements for UAV experimentation, digital twin-based optimization, network slicing, and self-healing xApp development. By bridging AI-based DSS methodologies with ORAN's open, vendor-neutral architecture, these studies underscore the potential of software-defined, intelligent infrastructures in enabling efficient, resilient, and self-optimizing networks for 5G/6G ecosystems. Through this synthesis, the report highlights AI's transformative role in shaping the future of wireless communication and autonomous systems.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2025

REAL: Reinforcement Learning-Enabled xApps for Experimental Closed-Loop Optimization in O-RAN with OSC RIC and srsRAN

Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) offers an open, programmable architecture for next-generation wireless networks, enabling advanced control through AI-based applications on the near-Real-Time RAN Intelligent Controller (near-RT RIC). However, fully integrated, real-time demonstrations of closed-loop optimization in O-RAN remain scarce. In this paper, we present a complete framework that combines the O-RAN Software Community RIC (OSC RIC) with srsRAN for near-real-time network slicing using Reinforcement Learning (RL). Our system orchestrates resources across diverse slice types (eMBB, URLLC, mMTC) for up to 12 UEs. We incorporate GNU Radio blocks for channel modeling, including Free-Space Path Loss (FSPL), single-tap multipath, AWGN, and Doppler effects, to emulate an urban mobility scenario. Experimental results show that our RL-based xApps dynamically adapt resource allocation and maintain QoS under varying traffic demands, highlighting both the feasibility and challenges of end-to-end AI-driven optimization in a lightweight O-RAN testbed. Our findings establish a baseline for real-time RL-based slicing in a disaggregated 5G framework and underscore the need for further enhancements to support fully simulated PHY digital twins without reliance on commercial software.

cs.NI↗