Estudo experimental de emulação de redes 5G com Free5GC e UERANSIM

Abstract

Fifth-generation (5G) mobile networks introduce a more flexible, service-oriented architecture capable of meeting diverse requirements in terms of performance, scalability, and connectivity. However, conducting experiments in real 5G network environments involves high costs and operational complexity, making the use of emulation and simulation tools a relevant alternative for academic and research purposes. This work aims to evaluate the applicability of software tools for 5G network emulation, with a focus on analyzing their capabilities and limitations. To this end, an initial review of the theoretical foundations of 5G networks and of available emulation and simulation tools was conducted. Subsequently, an experimental environment was built using the Free5GC tool to emulate the 5G core network and the UERANSIM tool to emulate the radio access network and user equipment. Based on this environment, experiments were carried out in three categories: authentication, connectivity, and load. The authentication tests analyzed the ability of the tools to register different user equipments simultaneously. The connectivity experiments evaluated user access to the external network through the emulated infrastructure. Finally, the load tests investigated the behavior of the network under different traffic volumes. The results indicate that the tools are suitable for experiments with a limited number of user equipments but exhibit scalability limitations, particularly in scenarios with a large number of simultaneous users, affecting both the authentication process and the support for higher traffic loads. These findings highlight both the potential and the limitations of using emulation tools in the study of 5G networks.