Wireless Fronthaul Technology : A key enabler for Cloud RAN
Walner SAINT-AUBIN
Cloud RAN 2014- Paris May 22 nd 2014
EBlink at a glance Pioneering Wireless Fronthaul since 2005
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Founded in 2005 by Alain Rolland and Christian Bittar
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Practical solution for faster and easier mobile networks deployment
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Offices in Paris , France and Silicon Valley, US
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1st generation deployed with tier 1 in Europe, Africa, etc.
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2nd generation (wireless CPRI), field-proven solution and demonstrated radio KPIs similar to fiber RRH
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Industry leading spectral efficiency
EBlink leading Wireless Fronthaul
Fiber & wireless
Wireless Fronthaul is required For C-RAN success
Wireless Fronthaul requirements •
Addressing flexibility and capacity challenges • • • •
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Assuring high quality of service delivery for an optimum user experience • • • • •
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High radio link capacity to support typical end user data rates for LTE and beyond :10X-100X compared the current LTE end user data rates High spectral efficiency Multi wireless technologies: 3G, 4G, 5G Facilitating very dense deployments of wireless fronthaul links to connect Cloud-RAN to several RRHs
Network accessibility Network integrity Network retainability Network mobility Availability
Provide a cost-efficiency solution • • •
More options for MNOs Reducing TCO Ensuring a secured and faster roll out
Meeting key CPRI Line Rate
*
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CPRI Line Bit Rate*
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Example of CPRI configuration LTE 2x2 MIMO
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Example of CPRI Line Bite Rate requirements for a typical site configuration
Source: CPRI Specification V6.0 (2013-08-30 )
Which frequency bands for Wireless Fronthaul? •
Radio-frequency channel arrangements
d n a b M S I 5
10
6 7/8 11 13 15
20
18
30
23
26 28
32
40
38 42 - 43.5GHz 52 55
Traditional Microwave bands ≤56 MHz
- Point-to-Point - Licensed
• • •
50
Up to 12x112 MHz
7 GHz channel
2x5 GHz channel
V-Band
E-Band
60
57 – 64 GHz
70
80
71 – 86 GHz
Millimetre-wave -PtP -Unlicensed & light licensed -Increase network capacity
Licensed/unlicensed bands? Traditional Microwave bands? Millimetre Wave bands?
90
92 – 95 GHz
100
Using Wireless Fronthaul for C-RAN Centralized BB processing
High speed fronthaul (fibre)
High speed Wireless fronthaul
Wireless Fronthaul benefits
C-RAN benefits
Complementary to fiber for the very last miles
Improvement of DL CoMP, latency, CA, eICIC, O&M, etc.
Faster and easier deployment Greater flexibility
Lower OPEX/CAPEX Energy saving
Lower TCO
Simplify Upgrade and maintenance
Turning Macro-sites into local C-RAN Macro cell & eNode B Remote macro sector
Remote macro sector
Small sector
Wireless Fronthaul
Small sector Small sector
EBlink’s FrontLink ™ solution FL58 microwave •
Commercially available
FL58 microwave
Wireless Fronthaul link 2,4576 Gbps, 4,9152 Gbps, 7,3728 Gbps in Less than 70 MHz BW
12’’ / 30 cm
Future mm-wave
mm-wave Wireless Fronthaul link NX10 Gbps
6’’/ 15 cm
FrontLink ™ solution overview Low latency enabled by EBlink’s Wireless Fronthaul 3 CPRI links over the air interface on a single wireless link
BBU
RRH
WFM
WFM
FrontLink ™
RRH
A n t e n n a A n t e n n a
58 Product
RRH Digital Interfaces
A n t e n n a
RF Interface
• • • • • • • •
Supports up to 3 RRHs on a single link Multi-techno access: UMTS and LTE Transparent to RAN frequency band Line Of Sight (LOS) Regulation : FCC & CE Compliant Link range : up to 400m (depend local regulation Bandwidth : 5725-5875MHz Capacity : Up to 3x20 LTE carrier 2x2 MIMO and up to 3x(4x5MHz) UMTS
Designed to fit different regulation constraints
Field proven solution: High QOS KPIs delivery
Fiber-based Fronthaul
Wireless Fronthaul
Fiber-based Fronthaul
Network accessibility
Fiber-based Fronthaul
Wireless Fronthaul
Network retainability
Wireless Fronthaul
Network mobility
Field proven solution: High QOS KPIs delivery
Fiber-based Fronthaul
RTT ping 32 bytes
Wireless Fronthaul
RTT ping 1400 bytes
Network integrity
Wireless Fronthaul installation in the US
Three LTE sectors over a 430m wireless fronthaul link
“EBlink’s FrontLink ™ solutions have the potential to change the way
mobile network operators deploy their networks in the near future. EBlink has proven that a distributed Radio Access Network approach was now feasible using wireless CPRI transport, without sacrificing network performance.” Stephen Bye – CTO, Senior VP Technology Development & Strategy
TCO comparison wireless fronthaul vs. fiber
Fiber
Wireless fronthaul
“EBlink
wireless fronthaul solution provides significant TCO advantage for remote RRH deployment, paving the way for new network architectures. ” Denis Fauconnier – 4G Product Management Director at Alcatel- Lucent
TCO comparison wireless fronthaul vs. fiber Fiber
Fiber
Wireless fronthaul Wireless fronthaul TCO analysis: macro sector extension • • •
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TCO analysis: micro sectors densification
Wireless Fronthaul is always showing lower TCO versus a fiber based scenarios Higher TCO of fiber due to the cost of trenching for laying out a new fiber In case trenching is partially required (in the case existing fiber ducts are used), the TCO difference between fiber and wireless fronthaul decreases. However, the operator may have to incur additional lease costs to occupy the fiber duct Deploying fiber will in most cases required a larger lead time when comparing to the time to install a Wireless Fronthaul (e.g. city council permissions, time for civil works, etc.). This means that revenues that can be generated quicker with Wireless Fronthaul because of speed of deployment
Conclusion: •
Wireless Fronthaul is a key enabler for C-RAN and local C-RAN
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Wireless CPRI is not obvious: many stringent requirements
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Wireless fronthaul provides a flexible and costeffective interconnection between base band and Remote Radio Heads
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mm-Waves bands are needed to support CRAN and 5G architectures
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EBlink: leading Wireless Fronthaul, field proven solution, leading spectral efficiency (up to 7.37 Gbps CPRI )
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EBlink participating actively in H2020 projects within the framework of 5G infrastructure PPP
Thank you
