RAN-Centric Network Slicing: PRB Allocation and Throughput Assessment in an SDR-based 5G Mobile Network

Abstract

This paper presents a comprehensive evaluation of Radio Access Network (RAN)-centric network slicing for enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) within a 5G Stand-Alone architecture, utilizing the X410 Software-Defined Radio (SDR) platform for flexible, reconfigurable radio systems. The research integrates empirical measurements from an SDR-based testbed with theoretical results to analyze the impact of Physical Resource Block (PRB) allocation policies on throughput performance and quality of service (QoS) in RAN-centric network slicing environments. We investigate distinct network slicing configurations ranging from conservative PRB allocation (5-10%) to maximum resource utilization (100%), demonstrating a linear relationship between PRB utilization and throughput with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.9984. Experimental results achieve up to 55.26 Mbps throughput with maximum allocation, compared to 5.53 Mbps with conservative allocation, representing a 900% performance improvement that directly corresponds to increased resource allocation. Time-series analysis reveals stable performance characteristics across all policies, with coefficient of variation values indicating predictable temporal behavior suitable for quality-sensitive applications. The comparison between measured and theoretical throughput values validates the 3GPP standard performance models, with strong alignment, confirming the accuracy of theoretical predictions when implemented on SDR platforms.