Objectives

CHARISMA will meet the goals of low-latency and security required for future mobile/wireless networks, using two important concepts: (i) devolved offload with shortest path nearest to end-users; and (ii) an end-to-end security service chain via virtualized open access physical layer security (PLS). Integration with an intelligent mobile cloud will increase spectral and energy efficiency, and provide enhanced performance with 1000-fold higher data volume for 10-100 times the number of mobile connected devices, and reducing latency by factors targeting e.g. the envisaged machine-type of communications in future 5G deployments.

 End-to-end security across all layers of the converged and virtualised open access network

We will develop novel cross-layer approaches for e2e security derived from software security, network coding, deep packet inspection and physical layer security. The layers at which corresponding security threats are addressed include:

• Data Confidentiality. CHARISMA will investigate novel approaches for secret key generation at the physical wireless/optical layer in the framework of shared randomness in communication channels with impaired reciprocity. Lightweight secure network coding approaches will be sought offering data confidentiality through virtualized software pieces;
• Data integrity. Deep packet inspection of virtualised security functions, dynamically deployed and combined with behavioural modelling of the virtualized network components, can identify spam attacks, detect intrusions or anomalous behaviours;
• Provider isolation. New methodologies providing isolation between tenants of the physical infrastructure. We will exploit information-centric network (ICN) concepts and software-defined networking (SDN) to provide separation based on the content compared to the traditional VLAN mechanisms used within data centres;
• Authentication and Authorisation. Recursive trust delegation mechanisms will be exploited for the different stakeholders’ relationships involved in open access networks. Role- and policy-based authorisation mechanisms will be implemented for the different network elements involved, both wireless and optical.

Physical layer low-latency security for both wireless and optical, in open, dynamic, multi-user, highly connected, and decentralized 5G networks.

CHARISMA will study distributed, low-latency solutions in the mobile and fixed access network by passing the user data over the lowest common aggregation levels between base stations. Physical layer techniques for security in wireless multi-user, decentralized access networks will also be studied, with CHARISMA laying the foundations of the PHY layer technologies for a secure, converged, and intelligent cloud-RAN/access network architecture that is able to serve the requirements of 5G towards 1000x higher data rates per km². In order to enable an ultra-low latency in the 5G access domain, the project will implement distributed end-to-end v-security approach based on software-defined network virtualization and keys that are shared within clusters of connected users.

High bandwidth (10 Gb/s wireless and 100 Gb/s fixed connection, as appropriate) end-to-end low-latency service experience, integrated across back- and front-haul and end-user (ad-hoc) D2D mesh networking.

Intelligent data-centric offloading strategies will be developed so that they are optimized according to the network hierarchy by means of selected traffic management techniques. Tools serving this are QoS queuing, scheduling and traffic shaping at the flexibility nodes (BBU, RRH), routers with subscriber-controlled QoS, hierarchical IPv6 routing implemented via OpenFlow switching, all used in order to achieve technical solutions for ultra-low latency. Additionally, CHARISMA will further develop cutting-edge PHY technologies, i.e. OFDM-PON with 100G aggregated throughput, wireless technologies for 10G final drops and RAN-RAN interconnects and a virtualized low-cost v-CPE at the edge of the network that all enable high speed and low latency with moderate cost of deployment.

Build two secure end-to-end pilot demonstrators including concurrent 5G-PPP project demonstrators to provide multi-tenant, multi-user, multi-technology, and virtualised open access infrastructures based on the CHARISMA low-latency and v-security developments.

These demonstrators will be used twofold: (i) to test and validate enabling technologies for novel CHARISMA concepts, and (ii) to showcase both the academic/research-, and industry-oriented low-latency and v-security aspects of the project.

The architecture definition aspects of the project will enable partner operators (such as COSMOTE, TELEKOM SLOVENIA, APFUTURA) to better i.e. more efficiently provision enhanced fixed and mobile services such as real-time, high-definition video streaming and thereby to increase their revenues. Results will be promoted within the ITU, ETSI, BBF, MEF, IETF, 3GPP and IEEE 802. Definition of the C-RAN fronthaul optical transport profile will inform INTRACOM, ETHERNITY, i2CAT, INNOROUTE before it is submitted to FSAN, ITU-T, and IEEE 802.3. The impacts discussion of Section 2 contains a fuller account.

The following table summarizes the objectives, the activities that will address each objective (which are later described in Section 3) and the means of achievement for each objective.