5G-RANGE: A transceiver for remote areas based on software-defined radio

The 5G-RANGE project objective is to develop a cost-effective solution to enable the deployment of Internet connectivity on long-distance and low populated areas. This work presents a 5G-RANGE PHY implementation based on SDR, which reduces the network deployment cost by using affordable off-the-shelf computer hardware. This approach reduces the barrier for small operators to offer 5G services in remote areas. Another benefit of the SDR is its ability to upgrade to future releases, and reduced development cycle time, compared with hardware development. This paper also describes the main tools and techniques used in the development and the achieved system performance.