Accelerate Your 5G Strategy: Understanding Open RAN and the User Plane Function (UPF)

The telecommunications industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation, and at the heart of this revolution are two critical components: Open RAN and the User Plane Function (UPF).

Communications Service Providers (CSPs) are exploring ways to understand and leverage the most advanced developments in 5G. Our latest white paper, “5G Network User Plane: Architecture with Open RAN and the User Plane Function,” offers the detailed, factual insight you need to navigate this landscape.

What you’ll learn

This comprehensive paper breaks down the disaggregated architecture that is defining the next generation of mobile networks:

• Open RAN Explained: Learn how Open RAN is shattering monolithic RAN architectures, enabling greater vendor diversity, competition, flexibility and agility. This paradigm shift allows CSPs to mix and match hardware from different vendors using standardized interfaces, such as the Open Fronthaul.
• The Critical Role of the UPF: Understand the User Plane Function (UPF), a crucial element in the 5G core network responsible for processing all user data, including packet routing, forwarding, and enforcing Quality of Service (QoS) policies.
  • The UPF is essential for enabling high-throughput, low-latency 5G services like Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR).
  • Its modular design facilitates edge computing support, allowing traffic aggregation and processing closer to the network edge.
• The CUPS Architecture: See how control plane and user plane functionality are separated to create the highly flexible Control and User Plane Separation (CUPS) model.
• Harnessing Cloud Native: A successful transition to a disaggregated architecture requires a robust and reliable foundation. Explore how SUSE provides an open source, cloud native platform powered by Kubernetes, purpose-built to host demanding workloads like the UPF and Open RAN Distributed Unit (DU). SUSE Telco Cloud offers essential features like:
  • Data plane acceleration (SR-IOV, DPDK, NUMA Awareness).
  • Realtime Execution Environment for DU workloads.
  • Advanced security and centralized lifecycle management.

The adoption of Open RAN and a distributed UPF architecture represents a strategic path toward a more agile, scalable, and cost-effective network. This paper offers the technical details and strategic insights necessary, whether you are planning Greenfield deployments, seeking to expand rural connectivity, or building secure private networks.

Don’t get left behind. Download the white paper today to master the architecture and discover the solutions that will define the future of your 5G network.

Download the free white paper.