Opportunities and Challenges Driving C-RAN...

Prepared by Sue RuddDirector Service Provider Analysis

email: [email protected]

Opportunities and Challenges Driving C-RAN ForwardMonday October 17th. 2016

Oct 17th.2016 Copyright© 2016 Strategy Analytics, Inc.. 1

Opportunities and Challenges Driving C-RAN Forward

Oct 17th. 2016

• Evolution of C-RAN• C-RAN Drivers

• Old and New Configurations of Centralised & Cloud-RAN

• Indoor Evolution

• Virtualization • Role of Virtualisation

• From Virtualized RAN to Service Awareness

• Multi-Homing could Virtualize Mobile Roaming

• Making the Business Case• How can Operators make the Business case for C-RAN vs. Centralised Solns.

• Developing realistic expectations for the technical delivery of C-RAN

Copyright© 2016 Strategy Analytics, Inc. 2

Centralised RAN• Early C-RAN Remoted Radio Heads (RRHs) & Antennas over CPRI

connection to shared Baseband Unit (BBU).• Centralised RAN ~ ‘BaseBand Unit (BBU) Hotel’ • BBUs on dedicated hardware are Centralised at Central Site e.g. with

Macro Cell or Aggregation Router site. • Solution can Reduce Cell site Cost especially for early deployment of

New Radio Technology…but little gain and flexibility for multi-cell coordination/CoMP etc:

• Saving on cell sites, power consumption, civil works…

• Gains from inter-cell collaboration

….but…Challenge is ‘FrontHaul’ Deployment

Centralised RAN vs. Cloud RAN

Source: Strategy Analytics

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CMCC in 2009 proposed Centralised RAN: C-RANas ‘the revolutionary evolution towards 5G’

Efficient fronthaul solution is required to enable C-RAN large scale deploymentSource CMCC ‘China Mobile’s View on Next Generation Fronthaul Interface’

“Soft BS” in C-RAN virtualisation/ cloudisation


5Copyright© 2015 Strategy Analytics, Inc..29th. September 2015

In 2013 ETSI is focused on Centralised RAN (C-RAN) first

Source: ETSI NFV Uses Cases 2013

ETSI NFV LTE RAN Architecture Evolution By Centralised RAN BaseBand Unit (BBU) pool

ETSI: Network Functions Virtualisation Use Cases

2013-10Use Case #6 (Section10) Virtualisation

of the Mobile Base Station

http://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_gs/NFV/001_099/001/01.01.01_60/gs_NFV001v010101p.pdf

http://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_gs/NFV/001_099/001/01.01.01_60/gs_NFV001v010101p.pdf

Copyright© 2016 Strategy Analytics, Inc..

China Mobile 2015 C-RAN project: IT hardware & Virtualized Software Platform

In 2015 China Mobile was actively working on Centralized Virtualized RAN architecture.

IT hardware and a Virtualized software platform to achieve: Centralized control/processing Collaborative radio Real-time cloud Clean system target

China Mobile’s C-RAN architecture

Fronthaul still a bottleneck for vRAN deployment, even though it evolving from CPRI Fiber to Ethernet.

Source: China Mobile

6Oct 17th. 2016


Korea 2015: SK Telecom (SKT) Cloud RAN (C-RAN):Virtualized, Service Oriented Flexible LTE/LTE-A network

• vRAN architecture on general purpose processor virtualized hardware• Intelligent engines with open APIs & Analytics-based optimization• Open fronthaul interface to create SKT Service Aware RAN• Combines Capabilities of mobile communications and IT• Service engines & Content caching at RAN level enable new localized or latency sensitive services incl. Zone-

based Advertisement, Augmented Reality/Gaming with low latency requirements, Premium Content Delivery & Analytics-based Network Optimization.

SKT’s RAN Architecture

Evolution

Source: SK Telecom

7Oct 17th. 2016


SK Telecom and Nokia Implemented World’s First Cloud-based Radio Access Network (Sept. 2016)

World’s First Cloud-based Radio Access Network

Two companies successfully implement World’s first Next-Gen. Cloud based, Vi

rtual Base Station

• Uses Virtualized Functions to deliver new Network Scalability And Elasticity,

enhancing Quality of Service and Network Stability with features such as

Functional Split and Automatic Recovery of Errors

• Software Based Configuration and Open Architecture enable innovative

network functions to be developed with SMEs.

• Successful implementation of the Virtualized Core Network and Virtualized Base Station lays foundation for evolution towards 5G network structure

8Oct 17th.2016

Source: Nokia & SK Telecom

https://networks.nokia.com/solutions/airscale-cloud-ran

http://www.sktelecom.com/en/press/detail.do?idx=1181

Nokia Evolution of Centralised Architecture

Source: Nokia & SK TelecomOct 17th.2016 Copyright© 2016 Strategy Analytics, Inc. 9

https://networks.nokia.com/solutions/airscale-cloud-ran

http://www.sktelecom.com/en/press/detail.do?idx=1181

Cloud RAN• All Upper Layer protocols Moved to ‘Cloud Platform’• Baseband Processing – IT architecture based:

• Real Software Defined Radio (SDR) • Hardware commodity• Software independent from hardware…• Virtualization of User Plane(UP)layers or Control Plane(CP)

• Service and Content Aware Radio Access Network (RAN)• Content cache at network edge• Service Awareness at Base Station

• Configurations Vary Depending on the location of the Real-Time functions (L1 functions):• Cloud D-RAN (distributed RAN) or • Cloud C-RAN (centralized RAN)

Centralized and Cloudified upper layer functions enable multi-cell/multi-technology coordination over large area.

Centralised RAN vs. Cloud RAN (Cont.)

Oct 17th. 2016 Copyright© 2016 Strategy Analytics, Inc. 10

Stages of Evolution of C-RAN - Telecom Italia & Timing

Phase 0: Distributed BBU(Std. Option Today)

Phase 1: BBU Centralization and Pooling (Centralized & Cloud)(New Networks Now)

RAN)

Phase 2: RAN Virtualization (Emerging Approach)Different functional partitioning between BBU

& RRU enable bandwidth saving over the Front-Haul (FH) and lead to different virtualization solutions


Source: The path toward C-RAN and V-RAN Marco Caretti, Telecom Italia Engineering & TiLAB


C-RAN like Architecture Emerging Indoors

• Easy installation, interference management, integration of indoor and outdoor…

Ericsson Radio Dot

Huawei LampsiteCommScope (Airvana)

Oct 17th.2016 12


New Alternatives to DAS: ‘Multivendor’ Small Cells and C-RAN trying capture Benefits of DAS

• Commscope’s ‘OneCell’ solution utilizes a Baseband Controller and multiple Radio Points to form a single super-cell• Only Needs Coax W-LAN Connectivity (Like Passive DAS)

• Creates a single ‘super-cell’, eliminating inter-cell borders, handovers and interference issues (Similar to DAS)

• Cloud RAN Distributes Base Stations (eNodeBs) and RRHs/BBUs as well Antennas

13Oct 17th.2016

Source: Commscope

Standalone Small Cell OneCell

Impact of Virtualisation of Radio Access Network (vRAN)

Oct 17th. 2016

Virtualisation on Radio Access Network (RAN)• In Broadest meaning is the ‘pooling of resources of a similar type’ both logically and

physically

• Virtualisation enables resources to be reused dynamically both to improve capacity utilisation and simplify operations - both of which directly reduce the Mobile Network Operator (MNO) Total Cost of Operations (TCO) per Gigabyte (GB) and help MNOs meet the rapid growth in traffic.

• Early focus in Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) is on the Data Centre and virtualisation of the Core Network.

• Coming Faster than many thought.• In 2015 many said that virtualisation of the RAN (vRAN) - whether through Centralised RAN, Cloud

RAN (C-RAN), or dynamic power control and frequency assignment with Self Organising Networks (SON) was years away.

(See the survey and workshop Strategy Analytics did in 2015.


C-RAN & Virtual RAN (vRAN) Timing - Trials & Deployment

Oct 17th. 2016

Trials have led to Deployment, Diverse RAN Configurations and lower Costs

• Demonstrations at MWC 2015 by Telefonica with Alcatel Lucent (now Nokia) and Telecom Italia (TIM) tested Virtual Radio Access Network (vRAN) technology in February 2016…

• Trials by China Mobile and SKT have turned into Deployments• Many Now Positioned as Pre-cursors to 5G RAN architecture

• New Operators are now committing to C-RAN deployment including Verizon and Sprint in the US

Vendors

• Nokia announced its commercial Airscale™ solution on the path to virtualised 4G/5G

• Deployed 4G C-RAN for TD-LTE at large events with China Mobile.

• Ericsson ‘A Split Can Make a Difference’ (UP and CP, RU &DU)

• Now offering pre-SG ‘Plug-Ins’ for Massive MIMO, Multi-User MIMO and RAN Virtualization.

• Huawei ‘Centralize What Can, Distribute What Must’ offers multiple commercial configurations of LampSite™ that blur the boundary between small cells and C-RAN.


https://www.ericsson.com/res/thecompany/docs/publications/ericsson_review/2016/etr-ran-architecture.pdf

Multiple vRAN Configurations & Cost Savings

Oct 17th. 2016

• Parallel discussions of alternate RAN functional splits by EU FP7 Project iJOIN and Small Cell Forum • Creating the range of flexible configuration options needed to deliver vRAN cost effectively for multiple

Uses Cases in Dense Urban, Remote Rural and Shared Operator locations.

• Innovative new vendors adding flexible or cost effective RAN configuration options from vendors like Blue Danube, Cisco, Fujitsu, Hitachi-CTA, Intel, NEC and Parallel Wireless as well as Cavium and Radisys.

• vRAN Cost Savings• Some of the biggest breakthroughs for improved TCO/GB come from sharing Baseband radio Units

(BBUs) at an adjacent or remote aggregation site for:• Dynamic use of Spectrum • Remote Radio Heads (RRHs) • MIMO • Steerable Antennas etc.• New ‘fronthaul’ options that leverage both CPRI and emerging alternatives:• Shared Ethernet over Fibre• GB Microwave


Virtualization of Services at the Edge and Mobile Edge Computing (MEC)

Oct 17th. 2016

Virtualisation of Services


Proximate and Contextualised Services Providing Differentiated User Experience Source: SK Telecom

Alcatel Lucent Nokia & Telefonica vRAN showcase in MWC 2015

Mobile Edge Computing

Source: Nokia (Alcatel Lucent)

New Approach to Multi-Homing and Implications for Mobility

• Mobility is just dynamic multi-homing with expected failures

• No need for tunnels or handovers trigger routing updates

• In Next Gen. Mobility Addresses are just temporary synonyms and UE can be connected to Dual RANs

Naming, addressing, mobility in RINA 18

BS1.2.1

BS1.2.2

BS1.2.3

BS1.2.5

BS1.2.4

S-GW1.1.1

S-GW1.1.2

Serving Area 1

BS2.2.1

BS2.2.2

BS2.2.3

BS2.2.5

BS2.2.4

S-GW2.1.1

S-GW2.1.2

Serving Area 2

P-GW0.1.0

P-GW0.2.0

UE1.0.1

UE1.0.1

UE2.0.1

UE1.0.1

UE1.0.1

UE1.0.1

UE1.0.1

UE1.0.1

UE1.0.1

UE1.0.1

UE1.0.12.0.1 Example: Mobility with Handoff

that allows Dual Connectivity

Making the Business Case for C-RAN

Oct 17th. 2016

How can Operators create the Business case for C-RAN vs. Centralised Solns.?

• C-RAN Benefits

• v-RAN Benefits

• Potential Showstoppers• Fronthaul Cost: CPRI, Shared Fiber, Carrier Ethernet, Fixed Wireless• Current optical links between BBU and RRU are realized with proprietary interfaces: CPRI and OBSAI.

For CPRI the typical throughput to link a LTE RRU 20 MHz MIMO 2x2 is 2.5 Gbps

• More efficient solutions are needed to support higher order MIMO, Carrier Aggregation >2 carriers, and HetNet deployments. Even today with multi-sectors/multi-RAT configurations transport solutions must be considered

• Realistic Timeline C-RAN

• Challenges to be Overcome


C-RAN Business Benefits

Oct 17th. 2016

• CAPEX/OPEX savings:• Lower costs for Space when Base Band Units (BBUs) are concentrated to the central office.• Lower Energy Consumption & Reduced Air Conditioning• 50%-70% OPEX reduction and 15%-47% CAPEX reduction based on estimates [NGM Alliance etc.]

• Dynamic Resource Allocation and Traffic Load Balancing• Easier Management and Operation• Functionally simpler for new sites and less effort for site installation and management• Better performance based on Tx/Rx coordination among the RRUs:

• Multi-site Carrier Aggregation (sites that share co-located BBUs) in case the operator has deployed LTE in multiple bands

• Efficient mobility management algorithms• High number of cells that can be controlled by the BaseBand• Higher capacity gains

• Virtual RAN SDR makes RAN Upgrade Easier & Simpler• Virtual RAN Architecture allows lower HW/SW cost • New Opportunities Market Segmentation and Competition (Combined with SON)


vRAN Business Benefits

Oct 17th. 2016

CAPEX savings:• Pooling Gain (Up to 50% Capacity)

• Site Simplification• COTS BaseBand Hardware

OPEX and Energy

• Reduced Power Consumption

• Site Rental Reduction

• vRAN introduces Open Environment to facilitate the development of new features as Self Organizing Networks (SON) and Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) evolve


No. 1 Barrier to Delivery of C-RAN: Fronthaul Costs/Throughput

Oct 17th. 2016

Challenges to be Overcome: Fronthaul is a major challenge for C-RAN TD-LTE Deployment

Efficient fronthaul solution is required to enable C-RAN large scale deployment

Source CMCC ‘China Mobile’s View on Next Generation Fronthaul Interface’


Time to Rethink Fronthaul for 5G evolution without CPRI

Oct 17th. 2016

Source: ‘Charting the path to RAN Virtualization’ Umberto Ferrero, Telecom Italia Engineering & TILab


Conference Will Help Attendees to Develop Timeline for C-RAN

Oct 17th. 2016

Need to Develop:

• Realistic Expectations for the Technical Delivery of C-RAN• What’s Possible?

• When?

• At What Cost?

• What can be made Virtual?

• Timeline for C-RAN Deployment for Densification, Small Cells & Indoorsfor each of :

• LTE FDD

• TD LTE

• 5G



Strategy Analytics Networking Team Contacts

Phil Kendall

+44 1908 423620

[email protected]

Sue Rudd

+1 617 614 0709

[email protected]

Susan Welsh de Grimaldo

+1 617 614 0724

[email protected]

Guang Yang

+86 138 0137 2507

[email protected]

Oct 17th. 2016 Copyright© 2016 Strategy Analytics, Inc.. 25

Opportunities and Challenges Driving C-RAN...

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