Containerized 4G/5G Network Deployment with VoLTE and VoNR Support: A Case Study in Conakry, Guinea

Abstract

This paper presents the deployment of a containerized 4G/5G network with Voice over LTE (VoLTE) and Voice over New Radio (VoNR) support, validated through an experimental implementation in Conakry, Guinea. The architecture relies on the Open5GS core network, srsRAN radio access, and USRP B210 Software Defined Radio (SDR) hardware, orchestrated via Docker, to address connectivity challenges in resource-constrained sub-Saharan African contexts. Comparative benchmarking results demonstrate the superiority of Open5GS over free 5 GC and OpenAirInterface (OAI), with control-plane latency reductions ranging from 13% to 40% for registration and Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session establishment procedures. Experimental results show stable throughput, controlled latency for voice services, and optimized resource consumption (2.8 GB of memory, 45 seconds startup time for 15 containers). The system efficiently supports enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) and VoNR services despite a backhaul constraint of 37.94 Mbps, which is typical of rural deployments. This low-cost solution provides local operators and public institutions with an accessible and sovereign alternative for deploying private networks in critical sectors such as healthcare, education, and agriculture, without reliance on proprietary infrastructures, and is particularly suitable for developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa.