Tereza Cristina Carvalho

arXiv2026

An Intelligent eUPF for Time-Sensitive Path Selection in B5G Edge Networks

In Beyond 5G (B5G) networks, intelligent, flexible traffic management is essential to meet the stringent speed and reliability requirements of new applications. This paper presents an improved User Plane Function (eUPF) design that uses a Deep Q-Network (DQN) agent for real-time path selection between Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) and cloud endpoints. The path selection problem is formulated as a Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (POMDP). We propose a novel passive delay measurement method that uses eBPF programs to link TEID-based timestamps in GTP-U traffic, allowing for low-cost delay estimation without active testing. Experiments show that the DQN agent substantially outperforms a random baseline, with lower average latency, more stable rewards, and more reliable low-delay path choices. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of AI-driven control in B5G core networks and the promise of reinforcement learning for modern network management.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2025

Energy Efficiency in Network Slicing: Survey and Taxonomy

Network Slicing (NS) is a fundamental feature of 5G, 6G, and future mobile networks, enabling logically isolated virtual networks over shared infrastructure. As data demand increases and services diversify, ensuring Energy Efficiency (EE) in NS is vital (not only for operational cost savings but also to reduce the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector's environmental footprint). This survey addresses the need for a comprehensive and holistic perspective on energy-efficient NS by reviewing and classifying recent strategies across the NS life cycle. Our contributions are threefold: (i) a thorough review of state-of-the-art techniques aimed at reducing energy consumption in NS; (ii) a novel taxonomy that organizes strategies into infrastructure, path/route, and slice operation levels; and (iii) the identification of open challenges and research directions, with a focus on systemic, cross-layer, and AI-driven approaches. By consolidating insights from recent developments, our work bridges existing gaps in the literature, offering a structured foundation for researchers and practitioners to design, evaluate, and improve energy-efficient network slicing systems.

cs.NI↗