Applying SDN to Mobile Networks: A NewPerspective for 6G Architecture

Applying SDN to Mobile Networks: A NewPerspective for 6G Architecture | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Applying SDN to Mobile Networks: A NewPerspective for 6G Architecture Rashmi Yadav, Rashmi Kamran, Pranav Jha, Abhay Karandikar This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6209238/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The upcoming Sixth Generation (6G) mobile communications system envisions supporting a variety of usage scenarios with differing characteristics, e.g., immersive communication, hyper reliable and low-latency communication, ultra massive connectivity, ubiquitous connectivity, haptic communications etc. To accommodate such diverse scenarios, the 6G System (6GS) architecture needs to be scalable, modular, and flexible. In this paper, we identify some architectural limitations of the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) defined Fifth Generation System (5GS), especially that of its control plane. Further, we propose a novel architecture for the 6GS to address these limitations. Among the different functionalities of the 5GS control plane, two key functionalities are the signalling exchange with end user devices (e.g., for user registration and user authentication) and control of user plane functions. We propose to move the “signalling handling functionality” out of the mobile network control plane and treat it as user service and signalling messages as payload or data. We think this approach is better aligned with the SDN paradigm. This proposal results in an evolved service-driven architecture for mobile networks where almost all communication with an end user (and device), including the signalling exchange, is treated as service. We explicate that the proposed architecture brings increased modularity, scalability, and flexibility to its control plane. We also compare its performance with the 5GS using a process algebra-based simulation tool. 6G network architecture Software-defined network CUPS architecture Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6209238","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":427725586,"identity":"3ffbec0f-2b57-401a-ae0c-9e3e52791ffd","order_by":0,"name":"Rashmi Yadav","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA40lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYPCCAwxszOwHHwBZPHzEa2HnSTYAaWEjWgsDP4OZBIhJUAu/9AG2Dz/+3InmY2ZIq/yaYyfDxsD88NENPFok+xKYZ/a2PcttY2Y8dlt2WzLQYWzGxjl4tBicYWBm4G04DNTCkHZbchszUAsPmzQ+LfZALYx//oC1mBVLbqsnrMWAh4EZaDJEC+PHbYcJa5E4w9jMLNsG0sKTLM247TgPGzMBv/D3MB9mfAN02Pz+4wc//txWbc/P3vzwMT4tDAyMDXAmMw+YxKscXfcPUlSPglEwCkbBiAEAYqFANPw/9tsAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Rashmi","middleName":"","lastName":"Yadav","suffix":""},{"id":427725587,"identity":"f0c55def-bc1c-4dd0-86bd-02bd331e30c8","order_by":1,"name":"Rashmi Kamran","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Indian Institute of Technology Bombay","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Rashmi","middleName":"","lastName":"Kamran","suffix":""},{"id":427725588,"identity":"2b19e5cc-652a-409a-8fb4-16eae4534d71","order_by":2,"name":"Pranav Jha","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Indian Institute of Technology Bombay","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Pranav","middleName":"","lastName":"Jha","suffix":""},{"id":427725589,"identity":"fca82ed6-1c30-48cd-871d-328e388c67f1","order_by":3,"name":"Abhay Karandikar","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Indian Institute of Technology Bombay","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Abhay","middleName":"","lastName":"Karandikar","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-03-12 06:53:10","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6209238/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6209238/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":83836465,"identity":"0c051d23-84d5-4177-8400-0da2b5075dd3","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-06-03 13:17:18","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":4225281,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"ApplyingSDNtoMobileNetworksSpringer.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6209238/v1_covered_e2efec6f-349f-480a-b335-958a2c7ed6fc.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Applying SDN to Mobile Networks: A NewPerspective for 6G Architecture","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"6G network architecture, Software-defined network, CUPS architecture","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6209238/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6209238/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThe upcoming Sixth Generation (6G) mobile communications system envisions supporting a variety of usage scenarios with differing characteristics, e.g., immersive communication, hyper reliable and low-latency communication, ultra massive connectivity, ubiquitous connectivity, haptic communications etc. To accommodate such diverse scenarios, the 6G System (6GS) architecture needs to be scalable, modular, and flexible. 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