5G and beyond mobile telecommunication networks are increasingly embracing software technologies in their operation and control, similar to what has powered the growth of the cloud. This is most recently seen in the radio access network (RAN). In this new approach, the RAN is increasingly controlled by software applications known as xApps, and opens the door to third party development of xApps bringing diversity to the ecosystem, similar to mobile phone apps. This model aligns closely with the controllers in the ITU-T architecture for autonomous networks, and provides a pathway towards autonomous operation in the RAN. Unfortunately, no marketplace to host or supply xApps currently exists. This work describes our experiences in leveraging open-source O-RAN implementations to design and develop an xApp store.

翻译：5G及未来移动通信网络在其运营与控制中正日益采用软件技术，这与推动云计算发展的技术路径相似。这一趋势最近在无线接入网（RAN）领域尤为明显。在这种新范式下，RAN逐渐由称为xApps的软件应用程序所控制，并为第三方开发xApps打开了大门，从而为生态系统带来多样性，类似于手机应用程序的发展模式。该模型与国际电信联盟电信标准化部门（ITU-T）自治网络架构中的控制器高度契合，并为实现RAN的自治运营提供了可行路径。然而，目前尚不存在用于托管或提供xApps的市场平台。本研究阐述了我们利用开源O-RAN实现方案来设计与开发xApp应用商店的经验。