Open-Source 5G RAN Platforms: A Dual Perspective on Performance and Capabilities

A comparative evaluation of OpenAirInterface and srsRAN across SDRs, RAN configurations, and real application workloads

Maria Katarine Santana Barbosa; Iasmin Gomes; Vinícius Melo; Kelvin Lopes Dias· 2026· DOI 10.48550/arXiv.2608.25820

The core problem

Open-source implementations of the fifth generation (5G) Radio Access Network (RAN), such as OpenAirInterface (OAI) and srsRAN, have become increasingly relevant for industry and academic research, rapid prototyping, and low-cost private 5G deployments. The state of the art presents different evaluation scenarios for both platforms; however, these are often limited to individual testbed evaluations, end-to-end studies, or partial comparisons between them. In particular, there is a lack of evaluations considering different Software-Defined Radios (SDRs), RAN configurations, user applications, and numbers of real UEs. To address this gap, this paper presents a comparative evaluation of OAI and srsRAN. The study includes a qualitative assessment of supported features and deployment flexibility, followed by a quantitative performance analysis covering radio resource control setup procedures, compliance with theoretical data rates, and real application workloads with diverse quality of service requirements. Specifically, we consider Video on Demand (VoD) for data rate evaluation, Live Streaming (LS) and Cloud Gaming (CG) as latency-sensitive applications. These workloads provide a compr

The paper reports quantitative results from the comparative evaluation of OAI and srsRAN. Key measured aspects include: - **RRC setup procedures**: Both platforms were assessed for connection establishment latency and reliability. - **Theoretical data rate compliance**: Throughput measurements were compared against theoretical maxima under different SDRs and RAN configurations. - **Application workloads**: VoD performance was evaluated for data rate, while LS and CG were tested for latency sensitivity. The study considers multiple SDRs and varying numbers of real UEs, providing a multi-dimensional view of performance. Specific numerical results (e.g., throughput in Mbps, latency in ms) are presented in the original paper. The comparative analysis highlights differences in how each platform handles diverse QoS requirements and real application traffic.

Open-source implementations of the fifth generation (5G) Radio Access Network (RAN), such as OpenAirInterface (OAI) and srsRAN, have become increasingly relevant for industry and academic research, rapid prototyping, and low-cost private 5G deployments. The state of the art presents different evaluation scenarios for both platforms; however, these are often limited to individual testbed evaluations, end-to-end studies, or partial comparisons between them. In particular, there is a lack of evaluations considering different Software-Defined Radios (SDRs), RAN configurations, user applications, and numbers of real UEs. To address this gap, this paper presents a comparative evaluation of OAI and srsRAN. The study includes a qualitative assessment of supported features and deployment flexibility, followed by a quantitative performance analysis covering radio resource control setup procedures, compliance with theoretical data rates, and real application workloads with diverse quality of service requirements. Specifically, we consider Video on Demand (VoD) for data rate evaluation, Live Streaming (LS) and Cloud Gaming (CG) as latency-sensitive applications. These workloads provide a comprehensive view of each platform capability.

The authors adopt a dual-perspective methodology: a qualitative feature and deployment flexibility assessment, followed by a quantitative performance evaluation. The qualitative phase examines supported features and deployment options of OAI and srsRAN. The quantitative phase measures:

The dual perspective—qualitative features and quantitative performance—reveals trade-offs between OAI and srsRAN. The qualitative assessment indicates differences in supported features and deployment flexibility, which may influence suitability for specific use cases such as private 5G deployments or research testbeds. The quantitative results show that performance varies with SDR choice, RAN configuration, and UE count. For latency-sensitive applications like Live Streaming and Cloud Gaming, the platforms exhibit distinct behaviors, while VoD data rate tests provide insight into throughput capabilities. The findings address the gap in comprehensive, multi-variable comparisons and offer guidance for selecting an open-source 5G RAN platform based on application requirements and deployment constraints. The authors emphasize that no single platform dominates all scenarios; instead, the choice depends on the specific QoS and flexibility needs.

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