O-RAN NTN Regenerative Payload Testbed with RIC Monitoring

Kurzfassung

Future Sixth-Generation (6G) Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs) will require experimental platforms to evaluate regenerative satellite architectures, where part of the gNodeB (gNB) functionality is hosted onboard the satellite. We present a regenerative payload NTN testbed in which the Distributed Unit (DU) is deployed in an emulated space segment, while the Central Unit (CU) and 5G Core Network (CN) remain on the ground, following the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) functional split 2 concept. Channel emulators reproduce the feeder and service links, allowing controlled experiments under representative Geo Stationary Orbit (GEO) NTN conditions with Amarisoft User Equipment (UE). The platform is also integrated with a near-Real Time (RT) Radio Access Network (RAN) Intelligent Controller (RIC), where an Radio Network Information Service (RNIS)-based xApp collects radio and network measurements from both the CU and DU.