科技部新聞稿
free5GC：第五代行動網路之核心網路
世界第一套符合國際標準的開放原始碼5G核心網路
日期：109年05月27日
聯絡人：梁雁惠助理研究員
Email：yhliang@nstc.gov.tw
網路通訊技術於近年快速歷經世代更迭，下世代5G網路技術之發展已迫在眉梢，加以人工智慧、物聯網等技術應用快速崛起，更加速5G網路通訊技術發展之迫切需求，5G技術發展成熟度儼然已成為各國國力之重要關鍵指標。國立交通大學陳志成教授研究團隊開發出全世界第一套開放原始碼5G核心網路free5GC，目前與中華電信、啟碁科技、思銳科技等合作，未來有機會將free5GC應用在「5G專網」，如智慧工廠、智慧醫院、智慧車站、機場、港口等，打造專屬的5G網路與更多元化的服務，為我們的生活帶來更多的便利性。
世界第一
free5GC為交大陳志成教授團隊在科技部（經費）支持下所開發的全世界第一套完全依照3GPP Release 15國際標準的開放原始碼5G核心網路，任何一個依照標準而開發的5G基地台或手機皆能與之對接使用。free5GC開發團隊最初目的是希望從事通訊網路相關研究的人員能夠有一個完整且可靠的測試及實作平台，然而其開放原始碼方式以及功能完整性，使得free5GC有著極高的商用價值，再加上Nokia、Ericsson、華為等大廠僅致力於提供給一般大眾使用的「公眾網路」價格昂貴，不利用來提供客製化、在地化的服務，free5GC能為客戶量身打造客製化、在地化的「5G專網」上提供一個非常好的5G核心網路方案。
解放硬體限制枷鎖
早期電腦只有IBM少數公司在生產，而後發展到軟、硬體分家，各家公司都有能力生產電腦硬體。早期的智慧型手機以iPhone為主，爾後到Android 的來臨，使得智慧型手機也不再是壟斷市場。free5GC 的產生，就是解除電信網路非 Nokia、Ericsson 和華為不可的關鍵鑰匙，將核心網路的軟體，釋放到任何硬體平台上，普及行動通訊網路的市場。
海內外的注目與肯定
free5GC問世後受到各界極大的關注，絡繹不絕的海內外學者爭相到交大交流觀摩，並且提出多項學術合作。其中最值得注目的是與美國萊斯大學(Rice University)進行大規模天線網路與free5GC的協同實作。萊斯大學的RENEW計畫設計了一套雲端通訊網路，讓使用者可以從遠端登入部署、管理並測試這套通訊網路系統，其中核心網路的部份，使用的便是free5GC。透過此項合作，該團隊已成功將free5GC場域擴展至國際。free5GC的卓越表現也得到科技部的肯定，獲頒科技部「未來科技突破獎」，並從其中88個得獎者中脫穎而出，榮獲「全球 No.1」科研技術之一，為台灣11項領先全球之技術，相關領域的標竿，並於2019年12月5日至12月8日在世貿一館中展出。
首屈一指的研究中心
有鑒於free5GC架構日益龐大，團隊成員及有意合作廠商數量均以驚人速度成長，為提供大規模有系統的服務，陳教授遂成立「通訊服務與軟體研究中心Communication Service/Software Laboratory」，希望藉著有制度的管理，為團隊的研究開發及產學界的合作帶來新的篇章。中心與產學界的合作採會員制，依照不同的會員等級，中心將提供不同等級的服務，包括free5GC的技術諮詢及中心舉辦研討會的參與費用折扣，甚至free5GC新功能開發先期的原始碼取得等，目前已有多家廠商加入會員，有意加入會員者可參考free5GC官方網頁：https://www.free5gc.org/。
行動通訊小聯盟
free5GC的成功特別要感謝諸多政府單位的支持，除了科技部自2014年以來不間斷的專案計畫經費支持外，經濟部及教育部也於2018年起陸續投入大量的資源。未來，研究團隊將秉持著這份能量，以「開源軟體」為基礎，提供國內外各個網通廠商關於5G核心網路的專業諮詢、原型設計、客製化系統設計等服務，並集結這些廠商共組「行動通訊小聯盟」，以全新的商業模式打入高門檻之「核心網路」產業，攜手國內外電信商（如中華電信等）與硬體製造商，為海內外的工廠、醫院、交通樞紐等打造客製化、在地化的5G專網服務，打破少數國際大廠壟斷的模式，為全世界小型網通廠商開創一片嶄新的天地，建立全新的5G生態系。
研究成果聯絡人
陳志成教授 國立交通大學資訊工程學系
電話：(03)573-1930 Email：jcc@cs.nctu.edu.tw
Press Release
May 27, 2020
Free5GC: A 5th Generation Mobile Core Network
The first open-source 5G core network in the world complied with international standards Innovation Research Made in Taiwan
Communication technologies have been changing rapidly in recent years, and the development of the 5G network technology is now around the corner. The development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) applications further speed up the need for 5G communication networks. The development of 5G has become an important key indicator of a nation’s comprehensive power. Under the leadership of Professor Jyh-Cheng Chen of National Chiao Tung University (NCTU), Prof. Chen’s team has released free5GC, the first open-source core network in the world. Because of free5GC, some companies, such as Chunghwa Telecom, Wistron NeWeb Corporation (WNC), and EstiNet Technologies, are now collaborating with Prof. Chen. Based on free5GC, Prof. Chen’s team will further develop “private 5G networks” to enable innovative 5G services in specific areas such as smart factories, intelligent hospitals, smart transportation stations, airports, and seaports, which will make our daily life much more convenient.
Number 1 in the World
With the funding support from the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) in Taiwan, Prof. Chen’s team has developed free5GC, the first open-source 5G core network in the world conformed to the 3GPP Release 15 international standards. Any base stations or cellular phones complying with the international standards can work well with free5GC. The initial goal of free5GC was to provide academic researchers with a complete and reliable platform for testing and prototyping 5G systems. However, due to free5GC’s completeness and open source code, it has extremely high commercial value, especially in providing solutions for customized and localized “private 5G networks.” Because giants such as Nokia, Ericsson, and Huawei are committed to providing “public 5G networks” that are expensive and unfavorable for providing customized and localized services, the free5GC is a very attractive solution for private 5G networks.
Free the Limit of the Hardware
In the past, the computer industry was dominated by a few big companies, such as IBM, which sold the hardware and software all together. Nowadays, computer hardware and software are developed and sold separately by different companies, which makes the industry prosperous. Similarly, the emergence of Android software makes the smartphone market no longer monopolized by the iPhone. The cellular core networks have been dominated by Nokia, Ericsson, and Huawei. With free5GC, our dream is to “free” the cellular core networks. By using free5GC as the software, many manufacturers can build hardware for cellular core networks.
Attentions From All Over the World
Since the advent of free5GC, Prof. Chen’s team has received great attention from all over the world. Rice University in the U.S., for example, is developing massive MIMO base stations. The research team at Rice University is actively collaborating with Prof. Chen’s team and using free5GC as its core network. Through this collaboration, Prof. Chen’s team has promoted free5GC internationally. Prof. Chen’s team also received the Award of Futuristic Breakthrough Technology from the Ministry of Science and Technology in 2019. In addition, free5GC stood out from the other 88 award winners and further received “Global Number 1” as one of the eleven leading technologies in the world developed in Taiwan. The free5GC was also demonstrated in the Future Tech in World Trade Center in Taipei from December 5 to 8, 2019.
Prominent Research Center
Because of the rapid growth of free5GC, Prof. Chen’s team has received many interests from industrial companies. To host free5GC and provide more services to the community, Prof. Chen established “Communication Service/Software (CS) Laboratory.” Academic and industrial organizations can join the membership program of the CS Lab, which will provide different levels of service based on the member’s level. Some of these services include consultations, discounts for seminars, and early access to the source code of free5GC. Please refer to https://www.free5gc.org/ for more information.
Mobile Communication Small Company Alliance
Without support from government agencies, free5GC would not have been so successful. Special thanks go to the Ministry of Science and Technology, which has continuously supported Prof. Chen’s team dedicated to core network research since 2014. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of Education have also been funding free5GC since 2018. Based on the spirit of open source, in the future, Prof. Chen’s team will provide professional consultation, prototype design, customized system design, and other services on 5G core networks to the industry. Meanwhile, the team will also create a “Mobile Communication Small Company Alliance” to collaborate with telecom providers, such as Chunghwa Telecom, and hardware manufactures to build customized and localized 5G private network services for factories, hospitals, transportation stations, and other particular fields worldwide. With free5GC as the software, we expect that many small hardware companies can break into the 5G industry, which is currently dominated by only a few giants. This will create new opportunities for small manufacturers and establish an unprecedented 5G ecosystem.
Media Contact
Prof. Jyh-Cheng Chen
Department of Computer Science, National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan
Tel: +886-3-573-1930
E-mail: jcc@cs.nctu.edu.tw
Yen-Hui Liang
Program Manager, Department of Engineering and Technologies, MOST
Tel:+886-2-2737-7525
E-mail: yhliang@nstc.gov.tw
