A Comparative and Measurement-Based Study on Real-Time Network KPI Extraction Methods for 5G and Beyond Applications

Key performance indicators (KPIs), which can be extracted from the standardized interfaces of network equipment defined by current standards, constitute a primary data source that can be leveraged in the development of non-standardized new equipment, architectures, and computational tools. In next-generation technologies, the demand for data has evolved beyond the conventional log generation or export capabilities provided by existing licensed network monitoring tools. There is now a growing need to collect such data at specific time intervals and with defined granularities. At this stage, the development of real-time KPI extraction methods and enabling their exchange between both standardized/commercialized and non-standardized components or tools has become increasingly critical. This study presents a comprehensive evaluation of three distinct KPI extraction methodologies applied to two commercially available devices. The analysis aims to uncover the strengths, weaknesses, and overall efficacy of these approaches under varying conditions, and highlights the critical insights into the practical capabilities and limitations. The findings serve as a foundational guide for the seamless integration and robust testing of novel technologies and approaches within commercial telecommunication networks. This work aspires to bridge the gap between technological innovation and real-world applicability, fostering enhanced decision-making in network deployment and optimization.

Measurement-based Channel Characterization for A2A and A2G Wireless Drone Communication Systems

This paper presents field measurement-based channel characterization for air--to--ground (A2G) and air--to--air (A2A) wireless communication systems using two drones equipped with lightweight software-defined radios. A correlation-based channel sounder is employed such that the transmitting drone broadcasts the sounding waveform with a pseudo-noise sequence and the receiving drone captures the sounding waveform together with the location information for the post-processing analysis. The path loss results demonstrate that the measurement and flat-earth two-ray results have similar trends for A2G while the measurement and free space path loss are similar to each other for A2A. The time delays between the direct path and multipath components are widely spread for A2A while the multipath components are mostly concentrated around the direct path for A2G generating a more challenging communication environment. We observe that the reflections from several buildings having metal roofs and claddings on the measurement site cause sudden peaks in the root-mean-square delay spread. The results indicate that the A2A channel has better characteristics than the A2G under similar mobility conditions.