Toward the Implementation of Hiroshima University Local 5G Communication Infrastructure in a Digital Twin Environment

Local 5G refers to a private 5G network that can be independently constructed and operated by various entities, such as municipalities and enterprises. It is highly anticipated as a technology capable of addressing diverse societal challenges. In August 2023, a local 5G system was deployed at Hiroshima University's Higashi-Hiroshima campus, intended for use as a testbed environment for practical applications and experimental verification. In this research, we have measured radio wave propagation characteristics and transmission performance to comprehensively understand the unique features and fundamental capabilities of the local 5G system within the campus environment. Based on these measurement results, a visualization application is being developed to represent the findings effectively. However, experimental and measurement activities in physical environments often face constraints such as time, space, and physical limitations. To overcome these challenges and provide users with more flexible opportunities to validate experiments on the local 5G, this study aims to build a digital twin model of the local 5G testbed environment and implement it within the visualization application. This approach seeks to clarify the system's characteristics and performance further. This paper introduces the radio and communication environment visualization application and discusses the conceptual design and prospects for integrating the digital twin model into the system.