Solving the Post-Quantum Control Plane Bottleneck: Energy-Aware Cryptographic Scheduling in Open RAN

2026-02-12

AI Summary

This work addresses the high computational overhead and energy consumption introduced by post-quantum cryptography (PQC) in the Open RAN control plane, which poses a threat to system sustainability. To mitigate this challenge, the authors propose an energy-aware cryptographic scheduling framework that integrates security policy definition via a Crypto Policy rApp in the non-real-time RIC with dynamic PQC handshake scheduling by an SOS xApp in the near-real-time RIC. This approach represents the first effort to jointly optimize energy efficiency and PQC deployment within an O-RAN-compliant rApp/xApp architecture. Leveraging MACsec/IPsec protocols and discrete-event simulation, the framework reduces the energy consumption of a single PQC handshake by approximately 60% while satisfying the latency SLA requirements of network slices.

Technology Category

• Planning, Routing, and Scheduling: Scheduling under Uncertainty
• Machine Learning: Quantum Machine Learning
• Search and Optimization: Distributed Search

Application Category

• Security and Privacy: Applications of cryptography
• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Energy management for devices in mobile Web and WoT environments
• Responsible Web: Measurement, analysis, and circumvention of Web censorship

Abstract

The Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) offers flexibility and innovation but introduces unique security vulnerabilities, particularly from cryptographically relevant quantum computers. While Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) is the primary scalable defence, its computationally intensive handshakes create a significant bottleneck for the RAN control plane, posing sustainability challenges. This paper proposes an energy-aware framework to solve this PQC bottleneck, ensuring quantum resilience without sacrificing operational energy efficiency. The system employs an O-RAN aligned split: a Crypto Policy rApp residing in the Non-Real-Time (Non-RT) RIC defines the strategic security envelope (including PQC suites), while a Security Operations Scheduling (SOS) xApp in the Near-RT RIC converts these into tactical timing and placement intents. Cryptographic enforcement remains at standards-compliant endpoints: the Open Fronthaul utilizes Media Access Control Security (MACsec) at the O-DU/O-RU, while the xhaul (midhaul and backhaul) utilizes IP Security (IPsec) at tunnel terminators. The SOS xApp reduces PQC overhead by batching non-urgent handshakes, prioritizing session resumption, and selecting parameters that meet slice SLAs while minimizing joules per secure connection. We evaluate the architecture via a Discrete-Event Simulation (DES) using 3GPP-aligned traffic profiles and verified hardware benchmarks from literature. Results show that intelligent scheduling can reduce per-handshake energy by approximately 60 percent without violating slice latency targets.

Problem

• Post-Quantum Cryptography
• O-RAN
• Control Plane Bottleneck
• Energy Efficiency
• Cryptographic Handshake

Innovation

• Post-Quantum Cryptography
• Energy-Aware Scheduling
• Open RAN
• Control Plane Optimization
• RIC xApp