Mobility in 5G Emulators: Implementation and Evaluation

Fifth-generation (5 G) networks have the potential to enhance a wide range of services through improved Quality of Service (QoS) and efficient service differentiation (Network Slicing). However, for many projects such as FerroMobile (revitalizing secondary railway lines using hybrid road-rail vehicles), before deploying new 5G-based solutions, it is essential to evaluate real-world performance using emulators under realistic conditions: geographical locations, travel speeds, varying traffic loads, etc. This paper aims to fill the mobility support gap in current open-source 5G emulators, notably srsRAN and OAI. While these platforms offer robust 5 G emulation features, they do not natively support mobility scenarios in 5 G networks. To address this, we introduce and validate a new software component that integrates srsRAN with GNU Radio and Open5GS. Our solution can be extended to other emulators, particularly OAI, and includes automated scenario generation to streamline experimentation. By detailing a real-world application in the FerroMobile context, we demonstrate this software brick's practicality and adaptability.