Blockchain Based RAN Data Sharing

Abstract

Providing seamless connectivity and services across national borders are intricate challenges with multifarious underlying aspects, ranging from the network management to business and political considerations. Since the cross-border inter-Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) network handover is currently not available in European cellular networks, we present a complementary approach, diminishing the connectivity gap to a minimum. By leveraging Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), we establish a dynamic, secure data exchange and management solution between several Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) of different countries. Systematically integrating foreign cell and base station parameter (i.e., Radio Access Network (RAN) data) of border regions into the internal network management systems permits their usage in standardized Mobility Management procedures. We demonstrate that this type of collaboration on the inter-MNO network governance considerably improves the network quality and customer experience when crossing national borders. Since foreign RAN data is also required for the inter-PLMN network handover (and can serve many additional purposes) and provided that our solution is not relying on any specific mobile network technology generation (e.g., 4G or 5G), we conclude that it is a fundamental step towards an inter-MNO ecosystem beyond 5G.