Digital Twins for 5G Networks: A Modeling and Deployment Methodology

Abstract

A Mobile Networks Digital Twin (MNDT) is a virtual replica of a mobile communication network that accurately models the devices, the communication links, the operating environment, and the applications that run on the physical network. By replicating different environments in a laboratory and running multiple scenarios, Digital Twins provide a cost-effective way to evaluate performance, predict the effects of network changes, optimize network management, and make appropriate decisions. This paper presents a methodology for automatically creating and using Network Digital Twins, along with a proposed architecture for performing this implementation. This work is framed in the context of the B5GEMINI project, whose goal is to develop an MNDT applied to a 5G core environment and its evolution towards 6G, being able to apply it to use cases in advanced scenarios such as cybersecurity or Industry 4.0. The proposed methodology covers the entire lifecycle of the MNDT, from the initial phases of data acquisition and modeling to the phases of use and bidirectional connection between physical and digital elements.

Keywords

• 5G core
• architecture
• digital twin (DT)
• mobile networks digital twin (MNDT)
• design methodology
• management and orchestration (MANO)