Implementation and validation of Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service for LTE/LTE-advanced in OpenAirInterface platform

Evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (eMBMS) is a point-to-multipoint content delivery solution designed for LTE/LTE-A. It distributes efficiently the broadcast and multicast service to a massive number of mobile devices located in a given geographical area. eMBMS can be used to boost the network´s capability for providing high-quality multimedia service in high user-density area such a stadium during an entertainment or sport event. The aim of this paper is to validate and evaluate the performance of eMBMS following the 3GPP standard (release 10) implemented in the context of the OpenAirInterface SDR platforms. The difference between the OpenAirInterface in-lab system validation platform with respect to existing simulation/emulation tools such as OPNET, matlab, NS-2/3 is that firstly it is built with a high level of realism supporting real-time operation (based on RTAI and RT-Preempt); secondly it is part of the integration and validation chain for a real-time RF experimentation. The results show that eMBMS performance in the OpenAirInterface satisfies the requirement of 3GPP standard in terms of BLER. Furthermore, the theoretical user throughput proposed by 3GPP have been validated through experimentation.