Network Resource Management and Core Network Slice Implementation: A Testbed for Rural Connectivity

Many rural and remote areas throughout the world lack appropriate connectivity, resulting in a rising digital divide (particularly in sub-Saharan Africa). For several years, prominent laboratories and institutions have prioritized research on rural broadband. Several solutions are being tested around the world. Our interest in network slicing as an approach is presented in this paper. We propose an implementation, management, and orchestration of network slices in the core network. We drew on earlier research to create a practical and scalable testbed that considers the setting and demands of rural communities. We have also highlighted key areas in rural areas (agriculture, health, and education) that could be addressed and positively impacted by our testbed. After we built our testbed, we ran a throughput test on each slice we made. The results show that our testbed is working properly.