Developing and validating a 5G core test environment using Cumucore : integration with Cumucore Core and Nokia gNB

Abstract

This thesis presents the development and validation of a 5G Standalone (SA) test environment at Turku University of Applied Sciences using the Cumucore 5G core and Nokia gNB. This thesis continues the preparatory tasks completed during an earlier internship by the author, where the laboratory infrastructure and 4G core were deployed but the 5G core installation could not be finalised. The purpose of the thesis was to complete the installation, configuration, and testing of the 5G core and to establish a functional environment suitable for research and teaching within the Autonomous and Intelligent Systems (AIS) research group at Turku University of Applied Sciences.

The implementation involved setting up the server environment, installing the Cumucore 5G SA core, configuring network, routing parameters, and integrating the system with the Nokia gNB. Validation tests included verifying the operational status of the core network functions, confirming N2 and N3 connectivity between the gNB and the core, and testing user equipment registration, authentication, and data-session establishment.

The results demonstrated that the deployed environment successfully supported essential 5G SA procedures, including signalling, authentication, and end-to-end data connectivity. Several configuration challenges were encountered during deployment, but these were resolved through iterative testing and log analysis. The completed test environment provides a stable and flexible platform for future 5G experimentation, education, and research activities at TUAS.