Towards SMPC-enabled O-RAN: A survey with deployment-oriented insights

Sajid, A; Lipman, J; Abolhasan, M

Towards SMPC-enabled O-RAN: A survey with deployment-oriented insights

Sajid, A

Lipman, J

Abolhasan, M

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Publisher:: ELSEVIER
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Computer Networks, 2026, 275
Issue Date:: 2026-02-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Sajid, A https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4018-9827
dc.contributor.author	Lipman, J https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2877-1168
dc.contributor.author	Abolhasan, M https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4282-6666
dc.date.accessioned	2026-01-05T00:51:12Z
dc.date.available	2026-01-05T00:51:12Z
dc.date.issued	2026-02-01
dc.identifier.citation	Computer Networks, 2026, 275
dc.identifier.issn	1389-1286
dc.identifier.issn	1872-7069
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/191193
dc.description.abstract	The evolution of 6G networks has led to the development of open, intelligent, and decentralized architectures. Nevertheless, protecting data privacy and security across systems with multiple vendors remains a critical challenge. Although Secure Multi-Party Computation (SMPC) and the Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) have emerged as promising candidates, existing articles have evaluated their performance in isolation. It implies that their combined impact on system performance has not yet been explored. Consequently, this article presents an integrated, deployment-oriented synthesis that maps lightweight and scalable SMPC protocols to O-RAN components such as the RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC), xApps, and open interfaces. Particularly, this article identifies four key research challenges: SMPC protocol scalability, architectural integration, secure AI optimization, and multi-vendor data confidentiality. To address these identified challenges, a comprehensive performance evaluation of state-of-the-art SMPC schemes is performed. The evaluation focuses on latency, bandwidth, and computational overhead of SMPC schemes in 6G-enabled O-RAN systems. Thus, by linking SMPC techniques with O-RAN architectures, this article provides practical insights and quantitative evidence to support the development of secure, efficient, and interoperable 6G wireless technologies.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	ELSEVIER
dc.relation.ispartof	Computer Networks
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.comnet.2025.111816
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	08 Information and Computing Sciences, 09 Engineering, 10 Technology
dc.subject.classification	Networking & Telecommunications
dc.subject.classification	40 Engineering
dc.subject.classification	46 Information and computing sciences
dc.title	Towards SMPC-enabled O-RAN: A survey with deployment-oriented insights
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	275
utslib.for	08 Information and Computing Sciences
utslib.for	09 Engineering
utslib.for	10 Technology
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology/School of Electrical and Data Engineering
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/UTS Groups
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/UTS Groups/Global Big Data Technologies Centre (GBDTC)
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/UTS Groups/Transport Research Centre (TRC)
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/UTS Groups/Cyber Digital Centre (CDC)
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/UTS Groups/The Trustworthy Digital Society
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology/Engineering and IT Related HDR Students
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.rights.license	This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.date.updated	2026-01-05T00:51:10Z
pubs.publication-status	Accepted
pubs.volume	275

Abstract:

The evolution of 6G networks has led to the development of open, intelligent, and decentralized architectures. Nevertheless, protecting data privacy and security across systems with multiple vendors remains a critical challenge. Although Secure Multi-Party Computation (SMPC) and the Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) have emerged as promising candidates, existing articles have evaluated their performance in isolation. It implies that their combined impact on system performance has not yet been explored. Consequently, this article presents an integrated, deployment-oriented synthesis that maps lightweight and scalable SMPC protocols to O-RAN components such as the RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC), xApps, and open interfaces. Particularly, this article identifies four key research challenges: SMPC protocol scalability, architectural integration, secure AI optimization, and multi-vendor data confidentiality. To address these identified challenges, a comprehensive performance evaluation of state-of-the-art SMPC schemes is performed. The evaluation focuses on latency, bandwidth, and computational overhead of SMPC schemes in 6G-enabled O-RAN systems. Thus, by linking SMPC techniques with O-RAN architectures, this article provides practical insights and quantitative evidence to support the development of secure, efficient, and interoperable 6G wireless technologies.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/191193