Autumn 2018 Optical Connections Magazine

JOHN WILLIAMSON 5G & BEYOND

XXXX XXXX JOHN WILLIAMSON FIBREOPTIC NETWORKS & Beyond: 5G

Ericsson’s Mobility Report 2018 reckons 1 billion 5G devices for enhanced mobile broadband could be connected worldwide by 2023. While there clearly have to be major wireless infrastructure investments and deployments to service this sort of device population, the part played by optical networks in realising the 5G proposition can’t be underestimated., reports John Williamson. Intensive compon nt, product and sy currently underway with producers a to improve the logistics, performance networks, writes John Williamson FIBRE OPTICS EVO SUPPORT FASTER, FLEXIBLE NETWOR Supporting the next generation of high bandwidth applications

B roadband Forum (BBF) CEO Robin Mersh is not alone in stating that, if the full potential of 5G is to be achieved, mobile technology must be backed by a world-class fixed network: “The high- capacity and high-speed fibre delivers makes it the ideal foundation to deal with the unprecedented amount of data 5G is expected to generate, providing fronthaul and backhaul,” he argues. As might be anticipated, the construction and commercialisation of 5G systems presents the optical networking industry with some not-insignificant challenges. According to Jon Baldry, Marketing Director of Infinera’s Metro Business Unit, a main challenge that the migration from 4G to 5G brings to optical networks is the step change in the dynamic nature of the network. This involves a move from today’s collection of high performance static pipes to a highly automated network with network slicing. integrated into the wider 5G network to support the more dynamic nature of 5G, such as Multi-Access Edge Computing,” reasons Baldry. “5G will also require higher transport network performance in areas such as low latency and network synchronisation, but we can actually achieve these performance levels already today, so these can present less of a challenge if high performance solutions are used.” Hector Menendez, Product Marketing “The future 5G optical transport networks will need to be tightly

A t the component proposition. Dr. Eric Mounier, senior technology & market analyst at Yole Développement, identifies three main SiPh attractions: ● Low power consumption - in particular when compared to copper-based solutions, which are expensive and result in high electrical consumption. ● Reliability - important for datacentres where rack-server lifetime is two years before replacement. Manager, Nokia remarks that optical fronthaul/midhaul networks will ne d to scale bandwidth more efficiently by adopting higher speed interfaces – for example 25GbE - as well as capturing gains from statistical multiplexing by adopting packet aggregati . “The packet network will ne d to address strict latency requirements of fronthaul traffic by adhering to IEEE 802.1 Time Sensitive Networking standards,” he maintains. “Transport will also need t address synchronis tion requirements that become more stringent with 5G. This can be done by transporting IEEE 1588v2 Precision Time Protocol via a dedicated Optical Timing Cha nel (OTC).” The advent of 5G, along with phenomena such as Distributed Access Architecture in cable networks and technology level, silicon photonics (SiPh) is emerging as a technology with considerable potential to enhance the optical networking

FTTH, will take fibre deeper into the access network. There are lower level physical implications here. “This pushes transport solutions into space and power constrained environments and those that were never designed to support telco grade equi men ,” comments Baldry. “T support this move, packet-optical systems need a sharp focus on high density and low power consumption and hardening of equipment to support non-telco environment such as street cabinets.” LEGACY SPRINGBOARDS? Just how far extant installed optical infrastructure can be pressed into service in the cause of 5G is the subject of some discussion. Mendez remark that existing WDM platforms used in mobile transport currently support 10GbE, and are

www.opticalconnectionsnews.com Acacia, and STMicroelectronics. “But the industrial landscape is well- positioned for an increase in players. 16 years of development, Intel succes penetrated this application, and now shares the current silicon photonics transceivers market with Luxtera, the market leader”, says Dr Mounier. “We also see new start-ups and an increas number of products reaching the mar mostly for 100G but soon for 400G.” According to Yole Développement current SiPh market value is still quit modest, with sales (at die level) esti to be less than US$40 million in 201 “However, the market holds big pro with an estimated 2025 market valu US$600 million at chip level and US billion at transceiver level,” suggests

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| ISSUE 14 | Q3 2018

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