Connecting the urban metropolis with self-organising MP2MP wireless backhaul

Eric Wilson, Head of Business Development Cambridge Wireless Small Cell SIG 24 September 2015

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Metnet solution overview

•  Fully self-organising •  Multipoint-to-multipoint

•  No frequency planning

•  No antenna alignment

•  Simple installation •  Small form factor

•  High capacity, low latency

•  Very low CAPEX and OPEX

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The world’s first self-organising small cell microwave backhaul

•  Up to 16 links per node •  Hybrid deployment

–  Mesh –  Point-to-multipoint –  Point-to-point

•  Fully self-organising –  Self-healing –  Interference aware

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Self-organising small cell backhaul

2  fibre  sites,  22  Metnet  nodes  99  possible  links   20  ac8ve  traffic  links  with  S-­‐TDMA  

China South Africa UK USA

Growing deployment experience

•  Frequencies: 26 and 28GHz •  Latency: Min 40µs, average 150µs

•  Capacity (112MHz channel) –  Single node: 480 Mbps –  Dual node: 960 Mbps –  Single node >1 Gbps (GA 2016)

•  Synchronisation –  GPS-derived, SyncE, 1588v2 (TC, BC) –  Can pass sync timing to local device

Node features and performance

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Urban outdoor small cell backhaul Macro cell Metnet HG node

Fibre PoP Metnet node

Small cell

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Smart cities Macro cell Metnet HG node

Fibre PoP Metnet node

Small cell

Traffic sensor

Surveillance camera

Public WiFi access point

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Internet

Enterprise/indoor small cell backhaul

Indoor small cells

WiFi access point

Metnet node on rooftop

Ethernet switch

Wireless devices

Wired devices

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AND NOW……urban outdoor C-RAN fronthaul! Macro cell Metnet HG node

Fibre PoP Metnet node

C-RAN RRH

C-RAN baseband pool

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Evolution to HetNets

•  Multi-layered mix of radio access technologies •  Different frequency bands •  Licensed/unlicensed spectrum •  Complex challenge of managing integration •  May be best supported through split RAN architecture with

centralised and distributed elements

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PHY MAC

RF

RRH PNF

Services VNF

S1/X2

SON OAM APPS

RRC PDCP RLC Upper

MAC Lower MAC

Upper PHY

Lower PHY

PNF

PNF

PNF

PNF

PNF

Conventional distributed eNB

PDCP/RLC based VNF

RLC/MAC based decomposition

Split MAC based decomposition

MAC/PHY based decomposition

Split PHY based decomposition

Baseline macro: CPRI decomposition

Source: Small Cell Forum

Possible LTE base station decompositions Metnet supports Small Cell Forum’s MAC/PHY split

Metnet meets requirements

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Fronthaul transport options

Use case One-way latency DL bandwidth UL bandwidth

PDCP-RLC Non-ideal – 30ms 151Mbps 48Mbps

RLC-MAC Sub-ideal – 6ms 151Mbps 48Mbps

Split MAC Sub ideal – 6ms 151Mbps 49Mbps

MAC-PHY Ideal – 250µs; Near ideal – 2ms 152Mbps 49Mbps

PHY Split I Ideal – 250µs; Near ideal – 2ms 173Mbps 452Mbps

PHY Split II Ideal – 250µs; Near ideal – 2ms 933Mbps 903Mbps

PHY Split III Ideal – 250µs; Near ideal – 2ms 1075Mbps 922Mbps

PHY Split IIIb Ideal – 250µs; Near ideal – 2ms 1966Mbps 1966Mbps

PHY Split IV Ideal – 250µs 2457.6Mbps 2457.6Mbps

Source: Small Cell Forum

Metnet meets requirements

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Metnet fronthaul trial

•  C-RAN vendor tested Metnet as fronthaul to provide LTE service

•  4 Metnet nodes tested with 2 RRHs

•  Rooftop and street-level installations

•  Approx 50 metres apart in LOS conditions

•  Topologies tested: PTP, PTMP, relay

RRH locations

Alterna8ve  LOS  routes  

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Metnet fronthaul trial results

•  No impact to performance for capacity, packet delay, latency and jitter •  Meets C-RAN vendor’s KPIs for fronthaul transmission •  Further testing planned

Vendor’s fronthaul requirements CCS Metnet

Latency 10’s of milliseconds Passed

Bandwidth 110Mbps Exceeded

BER <10-6 Passed

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Does C-RAN mean the end for small cells? •  Defer architecture question to RAN experts •  From transmission perspective:

–  Similar challenges for fronthaul as backhaul –  How to connect remote equipment to the core? –  Transmission must be high capacity, low cost, resilient, plug & play,

adaptable, easy to scale… –  Flexible, self-organising and self-healing is most effective

•  Pragmatic C-RAN architecture split (per SCF recommendation) makes microwave-based links feasible

•  Recommend adoption of SCF proposal for more flexible options to connect RRH to core network

The world’s first self-organising small cell microwave backhaul

www.ccsl.com