Scalable Real-time Emulation of 5G Networks with Simu5G

Real-time emulation of 5G networks is highly beneficial for several purposes, such as prototyping or performance evaluation of distributed applications meant to run on 5G networks, research demonstration, evaluation of other technologies (e.g., Multi-access Edge Computing) meant to interoperate with 5G access. In this work, we describe how to use Simu5G, a new end-to-end simulator of 5G networks based on OMNeT++, as a real-time emulator. We describe in detail the modeling choices that allow emulation to scale up without compromising accuracy. We present a thorough evaluation of the Simu5G’s emulation capabilities, showing that networks with hundreds of simulated users and tens of cells can be emulated on a single desktop machine.