Agent-based modeling and simulation for 5G and beyond networks : A comprehensive survey

Modeling and simulation of telecommunication networks have captivated significant interdisciplinary attention, notably since the release of the fifth-generation (5G) technology and the heavy public interest associated with its Non-Standalone (NSA) and eventual Standalone (SA) architecture deployment. However, 5G and beyond (5G+) network simulation is rather challenging as the complexity of networks has massively multiplied, given the manifold network intricacies demanded by stringent 5G requirements like mobile mmWave, Massive Multiple Input Multiple-Output (MIMO), Advanced Channel Coding, and more. Furthermore, the arrival of 5G marks a turning point in the evolution of mobile networks as it progresses towards the softwarization of networks and paves the path for future Artificial Intelligence (AI) native 6G and beyond networks. Consequently, classical simulation techniques have a high risk of becoming insufficient to model the demands of such drastically changing network dynamics, prompting researchers to view 5G+ networks from the perspective of Complex System Science (CSS). We move in that direction as we shed light on Agent-based modeling and simulation as a pragmatic and powerful tool to model 5G+ communication networks. Our approach involves a comprehensive survey of Agent-Based Simulation (ABS) and 5G+ networks, utilizing its insights to dissect the advantages, potential, and challenges of ABS in the context of 5G+ networks. Through proposing a prospective architecture for a simulator and its envisioned evolution into a Digital Twin (DT), we not only offer insights into the lessons learned but also chart out future research pathways in the flourishing domain of 5G+ modeling and simulation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in the literature that tackles the complexities of modeling and simulating 5G+ networks, by adopting an ABS approach.