Spectrum&RAN Sharing: A Measurement-based Case Study of Commercial 5G Networks in Spain

2026-01-20

AI Summary

This study addresses the empirical gap in understanding the real-world impact of spectrum and Radio Access Network (RAN) sharing on user-perceived performance in commercial 5G deployments. Through extensive field measurements conducted on a live 5G network in Spain, the work integrates network fingerprinting, Quality of Experience (QoE) assessment, and resource pooling analysis to systematically identify and quantify the effects of shared resource deployment in operational environments. For the first time, it provides empirical evidence of how RAN and spectrum sharing influence service quality and spectral efficiency under realistic conditions. The findings offer critical insights for the design and evolution of resource management strategies in current 5G and future 6G networks, establishing a foundational reference for architecture optimization based on actual deployment data.

Technology Category

• Planning, Routing, and Scheduling: Optimization of Spatio-temporal Systems
• Search and Optimization: Evaluation and Analysis
• Application Domains: Mobility, Driving & Flight

Application Category

• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Web performance, measurement, and characterization
• Responsible Web: Human-perceived consequences of algorithmic deployment on the web
• Search and Retrieval-Augmented AI: Web evaluation methodologies and metrics

Abstract

Radio Access Network (RAN) sharing, which often also includes spectrum sharing, is a strategic cooperative agreement among two or more mobile operators, where one operator may use another's RAN infrastructure to provide mobile services to its users. By mutually sharing physical sites, radio elements, licensed spectrum and other parts of the RAN infrastructure, participating operators can significantly reduce the capital (and operational) expenditure in deploying and operating cellular networks, while accelerating coverage expansion -- thereby addressing the spectrum scarcity and infrastructure cost challenges in the 5G era and beyond. While the economic benefits of RAN sharing are well understood, the impact of such resource pooling on user-perceived performance remains underexplored, especially in real-world commercial deployments. We present, to the best of our knowledge, the first empirical measurement study of commercial 5G spectrum and RAN sharing. Our measurement study is unique in that, beyond identifying real-world instances of shared 5G spectrum and RAN deployment"in the wild", we also analyze users'perceived performance and its implication on Quality of Experience (QoE). Our study provides critical insights into resource management (i.e., pooling) and spectrum efficiency, offering a blueprint (and implications) for network evolution in 5G, 6G and beyond.

Problem

• RAN sharing
• spectrum sharing
• 5G networks
• user-perceived performance
• Quality of Experience

Innovation

• RAN sharing
• spectrum sharing
• 5G measurement
• Quality of Experience
• resource pooling