open5Gcube: A Modular and Usable Framework for Mobile Network Laboratories

Abstract: In mobile network research, the integration of real-world components such as User Equipment (UE) with open-source network infrastructure is essential yet challenging. To address these issues, we introduce open5Gcube, a modular framework designed to integrate popular open-source mobile network projects into a unified management environment. Our publicly available framework allows researchers to flexibly combine different open-source implementations, including different versions, and simplifies experimental setups through containerization and lightweight orchestration. We demonstrate the practical usability of open5Gcube by evaluating its compatibility with various commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) smartphones and modems across multiple mobile generations (2G, 4G, and 5G). The results underline the versatility and reproducibility of our approach, significantly advancing the accessibility of rigorous experimentation in mobile network laboratories.