The testbed provides a full end-to-end technology integration addressing the 5G communication environment including satellite and terrestrial components. Key technologies include:
• Distributed NFV orchestration across the environment;
• Support for a distributed, edge oriented 5G control plane across the environment;
• Diverse, dynamic data path support with local offload, multicast and efficient small messages distribution;
• Extension of device management for slice-selection;
• Support for a secure and isolated multi-slice environment using service function chaining extensions;
• End-to-end network management across a multi-carrier environment;
• Slice programmability and customisation to applications;
• Integration with legacy and 3rd party services;
• Integration of edge intelligence and Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) node, functional split and synchronisation with central nodes;
• New Radio (NR) integration with satellite, convergent integration of existing technologies;
The testbed is based on a set of remote nodes that include their own communicating devices, local access network, local edge functionality and central nodes incorporating the rest of the support as well as the end-to-end network management. From the perspective of the satellite connectivity two modes are considered: backhaul connectivity for terrestrial 5G networks and direct 5G communication.
The high level system architecture concerning backhaul looks like as follows:
whilst concerning direct connectivity it is as follows:
