5G End to End Essentials

Summary of Key 5G Requirements and  IMT-2020 Use Cases

Network Functions Virtualisation aims to transform the way that network operators architect networks by evolving standard IT virtualisation technology.

•Mobile-edge Computing (MEC) offers application developers and content providers cloud-computing capabilities and an IT service environment at the edge of the mobile network.

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•This environment is characterized by ultra-low latency and high bandwidth as well as real time access to radio network information that can be leveraged by applications.

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•MEC provides a new ecosystem an value chain.

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•Operators can open their Radio Access Network (RAN) edge to authorized third-parties, allowing them to flexibly and rapidly deploy innovative applications and services towards mobile subscribers, enterprises and vertical segments

Before the commercial deployment of C-RAN architectures a number of challenges need to be addressed:

Need for High Bandwidth (high overhead on the optical link between RRH and BBU Pool)

Transport network needs to be cost efficient, support strict latency and jitter requirements.

BBU Cooperation, Interconnection and Clustering.

Cooperation between base stations is needed to support CoMP in terms of sharing the user data, scheduling at the base station and handling channel feedback information to deal with interference.

Co-location of many BBUs requires special security and resilience mechanisms.

C-RAN must provide a reliability that is better or comparable to traditional optical networks like SDH. Mechanisms like fiber ring network protection can be used.

Virtualization Technique:

Needs to be proposed to distribute or group processing between virtual base station entities and sharing of resources among multiple operators.

•Network slicing is a key feature for the next generation network.

•It is about transforming the network/system from a static "one size fits all" paradigm, to a new paradigm where logical networks/partitions are created, with appropriate isolation, resources and optimized topology to serve a particular purpose or service category (e.g. use case/traffic category, or for internal reasons) or even individual customers (logical system created "on demand").

•It can be enriched by use of NFV and SDN.

•The network slicing concept consists of 3 layers:

•Service Instance Layer,

•Network Slice Instance Layer, and

•Resource layer where each layer requires management functions