With the start of 2019, the era of 5G is officially here… or is it? Are you ready? While a few early market leaders are already hyping 5G services, most service providers are still making plans. And as the build-out begins, the reality of deploying complex new architectures is introducing a variety of challenges.
Due to the increased speed and capability that 5G promises, service providers can expect mobile subscribers to consume more and more data, particularly rich multimedia content. Add to that the flood of device-to-device communications expected with the Internet of Things (IoT), as well as new use cases for the smart home enabled by fixed wireless access, and it’s easy to see that substantially greater capacity, scalability, reliability and performance will be needed — from the first mile all the way to the edge.
Intelligent RAN Plan
Next-generation 5G networks will require robust transport infrastructure, including a dense radio access network (RAN) architecture with distributed intelligence. This increasing densification means more advanced topologies in the access part of the transport network, as well as evolved fronthaul, midhaul and backhaul (i.e., X-Haul) interfaces.
As the 5G RAN becomes increasingly virtualized, service providers will be able to dynamically support a range of use cases with varying demands using SDN control and orchestration. Plus, a key benefit of this virtualization is the opportunity to disaggregate the optical transport network, simplifying the evolution to an integrated and modular 4G/5G network that is highly programmable.
However, X-Haul deployment plans will be highly dependent on the varying capacity needs and latency sensitivities of the specific use cases to be supported, requiring careful consideration of many different factors.
Vision to Reality
The potential for significant revenue from diverse 5G services is very real. And with a robust transport network capable of adaptively handling multiple open radio interfaces, network latencies and virtual infrastructures, your network will be able to support countless devices and applications, delivering the full 5G experience.
Yet, the complexities of next-generation architecture mean that service providers are essentially in uncharted waters as they transform this vision into reality, requiring them to fundamentally rethink network design and deployment. For this reason, Fujitsu is working closely with leading network service providers to help them plan, design and deploy 5G networks that will allow them to deliver new services they can monetize immediately, while preparing for more evolved use cases in the future.
To help other service providers learn from our real-world experience, we’ve published a paper entitled “Transporting 5G from Vision to Reality” that examines 5G transport challenges, the evolution of the RAN architecture, best practices for design and deployment, early business model opportunities and a vision for the future. Click here to download this informative paper.
