Gauging 5G Standalone Performance for Teleoperation Use Cases in 5G-enhanced Port Environments

The International Transport Forum (ITF) predicts a significant increase in demand for transportation in the coming years, despite the shortage of drivers. To tackle this challenge, the Transport and Logistics (T&L) industry is increasingly relying on emerging technologies. While connected and autonomous driving offer promises of greater safety, efficiency, and environmental benefits, connected and autonomous driving face operational hurdles in complex environments. However, the existing limitations of autonomous vehicles, particularly in dense urban settings, highlight the need for complementary technologies, such as teleoperation. The European Horizon 2020 5G-Blueprint project aims to design and validate the technical architecture and business models for cross-border teleoperated transport, utilizing 5G technology. This study delves into the implementation of a real 5G Standalone (5G SA) network within a port environment, utilizing network slicing for teleoperation and Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) to enable real-time video processing at the network edge. Specifically focusing on Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC) and enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) slices, we conduct a comprehensive evaluation of a real-world 5G SA network. Our assessment examines key performance parameters such as Round-Trip Time(RTT) latency, Packet Delivery Rate (PDR), Reference Signals Received Power (RSRP), and corrupted frame rates, emphasizing the crucial role of 5G network slicing and MEC in enhancing operational reliability and efficiency in teleoperated transport systems.