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It's been only a year and a half since we excitedly introduced the Evolution of Mobile RAN Architecture in
LTE/LTE-A Era (C-RAN) last April. And today we are discussing the same for 5G era already.
Key transitions from 3G to 4G included i) network architecture change from coverage-based to capacity-based,
and ii) introduction of new 4G element, X2 interface. Specifically, cells became smaller for enhanced user
throughput and network capacity, C-RAN was brought in for more efficient interference coordination between
those smaller cells, and point-to-point backhaul was transformed into IP routing network to achieve minimal
delay in X2 interfaces where interference coordination data between cells are exchanged.
While commercialized 5G is expected to arrive in 2020 globally, Korean operators are planning to launch 5G
trial service in 2018.
Many predict 5G, compared to 4G, will give:
Ultra-high radio speed (20Gbps/UE) - New RAT, mmWave, massive MIMO, massive Aggregation
Ultra-low latency (E2E few msec) - Tectile Internet, autonomous driving, remote controlled machine
Among the most talked about use cases of 5G selected by ITU-R and 3GPP are enhanced mobile broadband
(mobile speeds up to 20Gbps), massive IoT (5G access by billions of IoT devices like sensor), and missioncritical IoT (Ultra-reliable and low latency communications).
How 5G, with higher technological requirements and distinguished use cases compared to those of 4G, will
affect the current mobile network architecture? What changes will it bring?
Netmanias Tech-Blog: Mobile Network Architecture for 5G Era - New C-RAN Architecture and
Distributed 5G Core
example, if BW is 20MHz and an RRH has 16 antennas, then 19.66Gbps of CPRI capacity is required between
BBU and the RRH. Moreover, if new RAT is used, BW is no longer 20MHz as in 4G LTE, but it will even further
extend beyond 100MHz, 400MHz, and so on, eventually requiring tens or hundreds of Gbps of CPRI capacity
per RRH.
Cell Site
4G
5G
CPRI Fronthaul
BBU Pool
EPC
2.45Gbps/RRH
RRH
5G Radio
- Massive MIMO
- New RAT
- mmWave
Packet Core
Backhaul
2-antenna
20MHz@700MHz to
3.8GHz
IP Speed: 150Mbps
C-RAN
(CPRI option 3)
BBU
CPRI interface
Packet Core
CPRI Fronthaul
Explosion
RRH
tens or
hundreds of
Gbps/RRH
Backhaul
BBU Pool
5G Core
BBU
CPRI interface
Netmanias Tech-Blog: Mobile Network Architecture for 5G Era - New C-RAN Architecture and
Distributed 5G Core
5G
5G Radio
- Massive MIMO
- New RAT
- mmWave
Cell Site
Cloud RAN
Packet Core
Backhaul
New fronthaul
BBU Pool
reduce
fronthaul traffic
New
BBU
New Interface
PDCP
Delay requirement
PDCP
BBU
CoMP effect
PDCP
RLC
PDCP
MAC
RF
PHY
RLC
RF
PHY
Symbol/Bit
RLC
MAC
PHY
PHY
RF
RLC
MAC
MAC
RF
PHY
MAC PDU
IQ data
(over CPRI
interface)
4G C-RAN
RRH
RLC PDU
PDCP
RLC
MAC
PHY
RF
PDCP PDU
Trade-off
New
RRH
5G Core
2. Ultra-High Radio Speed Enormous traffic converging into the Core Distributed 5G
Core
In 5G era, radio IP capacity will become as large as 20Gbps per sector (mobile speeds up to 20Gbps), and ultralarge content traffic (e.g. UHD Video Streaming, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR)) will travel across
the faster radio access network. All mobile traffic have to travel via packet core network (i.e. PGW in case of
4G). Today, most countries have only a few sites with PGWs across their nations (e.g. In Korea, all PGWs are at
two sites in Seoul only).
If the current architecture is kept, massive backhaul between BBU Pools located across the country and packet
core in a few centralized sites is inevitable, and substantial backhaul investment has to be made as well. For
instance, let's say there are 10,000 5G cell sites nationwide, each with 3 sectors. Backhaul capacity required is
600Tbps (20Gbps/sector x 3-sector x 10,000 sites). Of course, 5G core in centralized sites should have ultra
high processing capacity as well.
Netmanias Tech-Blog: Mobile Network Architecture for 5G Era - New C-RAN Architecture and
Distributed 5G Core
Cell Site
Cloud RAN
IP speed
20 Gbps
Backhaul
Explosion
Cloud Core
Applications
BBU Pool
5G Core
nx100Gbps
Massive Aggregation
Massive MIMO
New RAT
mmWave
Cell Site
Cloud RAN
IP speed
20 Gbps
Distributed
5G Core
Applications
Applications
BBU Pool
Massive Aggregation
Massive MIMO
New RAT
mmWave
Cloud Core
Distributed
5G Core
5G Core
Backhaul
reduce backhaul
traffic
Netmanias Tech-Blog: Mobile Network Architecture for 5G Era - New C-RAN Architecture and
Distributed 5G Core
devices, and placing application servers right next to it. Distribution of 5G core that we have just discussed
above will naturally give us the same effect.
Key elements of the 5G mobile network architecture presented by the Korean big 3 can be summarized as
distribution of 5G core, and introduction of new packet-based fronthaul.
Services
Mobile
Network
00
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
eMBMS/Mobile IPTV
CDN/Mobile CDN
Transparent Caching
BSS/OSS
Cable TPS
Voice/Video Quality
IMS
Policy Control/PCRF
IPTV/TPS
LTE/LTE Advanced
Mobile WiMAX
Carrier Wi-Fi
LTE Backhaul/Fronthaul
Data Center Migration
Wireline
Network
Carrier Ethernet
FTTH
Data Center
Metro Ethernet
MPLS
IP Routing
CDN
Transparent
Caching
Analysis
Networks
eMBMS
LTE
IMS
Infrastructure Services
Concept Design
DRM
POC
Training
Wi-Fi
protocols
IP/MPLS
Carrier Ethernet
Consulting
Future