End-to-end 5G network QoS evaluation for mine tunnel system
Rehman, Abdul (2025-06-16)
A. Rehman
16.06.2025
© 2025, Abdul Rehman. Tämä Kohde on tekijänoikeuden ja/tai lähioikeuksien suojaama. Voit käyttää Kohdetta käyttöösi sovellettavan tekijänoikeutta ja lähioikeuksia koskevan lainsäädännön sallimilla tavoilla. Muunlaista käyttöä varten tarvitset oikeudenhaltijoiden luvan.
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:oulu-202506164515
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:oulu-202506164515
Tiivistelmä
This thesis presents an empirical evaluation of end-to-end Quality of Service (QoS), including latency, throughput, jitter, and packet loss provided by a portable standalone fifth-generation (5G) wireless network in an underground mine tunnel. The work is motivated by the growing need for reliable wireless connectivity in industrial automation and mining operations, where signal propagation is challenged by non-line-of-sight conditions, attenuation, and complex tunnel geometry.
A fully Standalone (SA) 5G testbed was deployed using the OpenAirInterface (OAI) based OAIBOX MAX platform at 3.85 GHz (Frequency Range 1, n78 band), with a Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP) serving as the radio frequency front-end for transmission and reception. The experimental setup featured a directional antenna, power and low-noise amplifiers, and relied on passive end-to-end measurement using Qosium probes to capture live network performance without generating artificial test traffic. Two hypothetical industrially relevant scenarios were evaluated: a downlink scenario with mobile user equipment emulating robotic or real-time video reception, and a stationary uplink scenario representative of fixed sensor reporting. Modulation and coding schemes (MCS) and transmit power levels were varied to explore their effect on network performance in the challenging tunnel environment.
Results show that a portable 5G system built on open-source and software-defined components, including the USRP, can achieve robust wireless communication in real-world underground tunnels, with performance dependent on radio configuration and propagation conditions. The findings validate the effectiveness of passive measurement for realistic QoS assessment, and provide insights into the deployment of SA 5G networks in mining, industrial automation, and similar demanding settings. The work done in this thesis provides practical measurement data that can support network design and the development of underground wireless communications in the future.
A fully Standalone (SA) 5G testbed was deployed using the OpenAirInterface (OAI) based OAIBOX MAX platform at 3.85 GHz (Frequency Range 1, n78 band), with a Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP) serving as the radio frequency front-end for transmission and reception. The experimental setup featured a directional antenna, power and low-noise amplifiers, and relied on passive end-to-end measurement using Qosium probes to capture live network performance without generating artificial test traffic. Two hypothetical industrially relevant scenarios were evaluated: a downlink scenario with mobile user equipment emulating robotic or real-time video reception, and a stationary uplink scenario representative of fixed sensor reporting. Modulation and coding schemes (MCS) and transmit power levels were varied to explore their effect on network performance in the challenging tunnel environment.
Results show that a portable 5G system built on open-source and software-defined components, including the USRP, can achieve robust wireless communication in real-world underground tunnels, with performance dependent on radio configuration and propagation conditions. The findings validate the effectiveness of passive measurement for realistic QoS assessment, and provide insights into the deployment of SA 5G networks in mining, industrial automation, and similar demanding settings. The work done in this thesis provides practical measurement data that can support network design and the development of underground wireless communications in the future.
Kokoelmat
- Avoin saatavuus [38865]