SDN Controller for LTE Networks

Abstract

LTE (Long Term Evolution) networks are capable of handling tremendous user loads with the current user base estimated to be in hundreds of millions. LTE is superior to older telecommunication networks, yet it suffers from issues like inflexible & expensive equipment, complex control plane protocols, coupling of control and data planes in devices and equipments and so on. It is therefore decided to make use of SDN architecture. SDN (Software Defined Networking) allows us to separate the intelligence of the network components by shifting the decision making abilities to a separate software component. It overcomes certain drawbacks in LTE networks through decoupling of the control plane and data plane activities, making the control plane more programmable and to abstract the underlying infrastructure. Thus an overall view of the network is gained which can be effectively manipulated as per requirement.