DonÂ′t let these misconceptions stop you from building a superior transport network.
Several myths exist about 5G transport and its technologies. DonÂ′t let these misconceptions stop you from building a superior transport network for 5G services everywhere. We bust the myths for you.
Myth 1: Every 5G radio site must have a GPS
Busted!
The specific requirements for RAN timing and sync are dependent on the radio technology deployed and the spectrum used. Therea�™s also a need for increased reliability in the timing source. While todaya�™s FDD-based LTE network can continue to operate for hours after sync loss with no degradation, in the future, loss of timing will have an immediate impact on RAN performance.
Although the mobile transport network itself does not need synchronization, it can provide timing and synchronization to the RAN. Router 6000 can work as boundary and/or grandmaster clock to distribute timing to other elements in the network. The result is exceptional 5G sync and lowered TCO. By managing upstream and downstream routers, basebands at hubs and other sites, the Router 6000 eliminates the need for a GPS at every radio site.
Myth 2: Radio over Ethernet is most efficient for transporting CPRI over packet networks
Busted!
With 5G we see more operators exploring the possibility to centralize their networks and build packet-based fronthaul systems. But by doing this, there is also a need to handle the legacy CPRI flows to enable a packet-only network. Two options are available; Mapping the CPRI frames into ethernet packets, called Radio over Ethernet (RoE) or Convert the CPRI streams into eCPRI by RAN Compute processing.
The two alternatives have their set of benefits, where conversion being the most effective technology in terms of bandwidth savings – 60-80% savings can be achieved depending on RAN configuration and by that, reducing the fiber needs as well as transport equipment. Ericsson Router 6673 supports RoE and Conversion in the same platform, offering full support across all current and future Ericsson radios CPRI and eCPRI variations. It also works as a cell site router and aggregates enterprise traffic.
Myth 3: Existing LTE backhaul is sufficient for 5G
Depends.
One of the major benefits of 5G is the improved user capacity it brings. Beside the optimization of the radio protocol stack, this improvement is enabled by the availability of multiple new frequency bands. When adding mid- and high-band spectrums, the backhaul network also needs to be upgraded to meet widely varying, but strict, requirements for performance, capacity, latency, synchronization, and security. It must also support the various needs of parallel network architectures and technologies, and seamlessly support the coordination between many more cell sites.
Myth 4: Microwave is not a viable transport media for 5G
Busted!
The steady evolution of backhaul over the last 40 years has been a response and adaptation to the requirements from new services enabled by new generation of mobile technology. The key to increased capacity is accessing new frequency bands, wider channel bandwidths, higher modulation schemes and other spectrum efficient solutions.
Microwave technology is being used for both 5G backhaul and fronthaul, and is continuously evolving. 100 Gbps speed is already verified.
Myth 5: All types of optical pluggables can be used in mobile networks
Busted!
In mobile networks, the optical pluggables need specific features: they have to be highly cost-effective, tolerate outdoor deployments of high and low temperatures, have a long lifetime to avoid costly downtime and network replacements, and meet the requirements for power consumption.
Ericsson has initiated a joint effort with Nokia and three leading optical pluggables vendors, II-VI, Lumentum and Sumitomo Electric, to agree on the most important high-level requirements and optical solutions for 5G. This intends to get a common and shared view in the industry to secure that the right optical pluggables are available at the right time and the right cost for the 5G buildouts.
