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This paper investigates the latency overhead introduced by enabling optional security controls on disaggregated 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) interfaces and the user plane. The authors implemented a testbed with a disaggregated RAN and standardized security mechanisms to measure the impact of cryptographic operations on latency. Results indicate that while disaggregated RANs maintain a latency advantage over monolithic designs even with security enabled, achieving sub-1ms round-trip times is difficult due to the cryptographic overhead.
Securing 5G's disaggregated RAN architecture can push latency past the 1ms target, even though disaggregation still beats monolithic designs.
5G promises enhanced performance-not only in bandwidth and capacity, but also latency and security. Its ultra-reliable low-latency configuration targets round-trip times below 1 ms, while optional security controls extend protection across all interfaces, making 5G attractive for mission-critical applications. A key enabler of low latency is the disaggregation of network components, including the RAN, allowing user-plane functions to be deployed nearer to end users. However, this split introduces additional interfaces, whose protection increases latency overhead. In this paper, guided by discussions with a network operator and a 5G manufacturer, we evaluate the latency overhead of enabling optional 5G security controls across internal RAN interfaces and the 5G user plane. To this end, we deploy the first testbed implementing a disaggregated RAN with standardized optional security mechanisms. Our results show that disaggregated RAN deployments retain a latency advantage over monolithic designs, even with security enabled. However, achieving sub-1 ms round-trip times remains challenging, as cryptographic overhead alone can already exceed this target.