Practical experimentation with cellular networks has been historically reserved exclusively for network vendors and telecommunication operators, primarily due to high equipment costs and licensing constraints.
In recent years, the state of play has been changing with the advent of open-source 3GPP protocol stacks based on increasingly more affordable Software-Defined Radio (SDR) systems.
In this context, the OpenAirInterface^TM (OAI) project emerges as the leading open-source initiative that provides a reference implementation of 5G base station (gNB), User Equipment (UE), and 5G core network, standard-compliant with 3GPP NR SA and that runs on general-purpose x86 computing platforms along with off-the-shelf SDR hardware platforms

• The OAI is an open-source project established by EURECOM and welcomes contributions to anyone who signs the license agreement.
• The OAI software stack is used by many different R&D teams worldwide.
  Apart from being an ideal platform for 5G and 6G collaborative research, we believe that OAI has a strong potential for educating graduate students and training wireless engineers on the practical aspects of 5G cellular networks.
• The OAI code is free for download and use; however, because of its open-source nature and flexibility, it is not meant to be used directly by graduate students in teaching Labs.
  With the OAIBOX product line, Allbesmart wants to offer a plug-and-play solution that works as an abstraction layer of open-source complexities, contributing towards the adoption of OAI in teaching Labs and training centres.
• The OAIBOX product was inspired by our experience as developers, key contributors, and testers of the 5G OAI stack.
  The OAIBOX Dashboard is a web-based platform with pre-defined and easy-to-use 5G configurations, accessible through intuitive menus to facilitate hands-on experiments of 5G use cases.
  End-to-end test results can be measured against KPIs shown in real-time plots that can be stored for further analysis and discussion.
• We are creating a 5G Lab Manual with several 5G Lab exercises to be replicated by students, addressing different aspects of the 5G protocol stack.
  For each exercise, a Pre-Lab section summarises the most important background of the 3GPP NR standard, including key references to the TS required to understand the outcome of each step-by-step experiment.
• For some Labs, we also explain how to change the 5G configuration in the OAI code base, preparing students and future researchers for advanced uses of OAI beyond the pre-defined 5G lab exercises in the 5G Lab Manual.
• Historically wireless networks have been taught based on theoretical models and reliance on simulation tools constructed under simplifying assumptions and usually addressing a single protocol layer.
  We believe that the OAIBOX, with its full 5G stack and over-the-air transmission, is a transformative approach to teaching practical aspects of cellular networks, preparing students for the global standard adopted by the industry.