Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) protocol was introduced as a replacement for copper and coax cabling that previously ran down cell towers, connecting the Remote Radio Head (RRH) at the top and the base station below. This technology has been regarded as the future of centralized RAN architecture. Challenges remain, however, to scale it to the demands of a 5G network with respect to multiple-input multiple-output technology, functional split and the technology’s latency, reports Light Reading.
MIMO uses multiple transmitters and receivers, and will be crucial in increasing data rates for 4G and 5G radios, but its high transmission rates will produce a large number of streams. For example, a 4X4 MIMO transmission will result in 24 CPRI links/wavelengths, which will not be economical for wireless providers.
Finding the correct functional split between the RRH and the Baseband Unit (BBU) is also a matter of intense debate in the 5G world, and something that could prove difficult for the utilization of CPRI technology, reports Light Reading.
Finding the correct latency rate is a vital part of delivering 5G-quality service, which only adds to the challenges posed by CPRI technology. Greater latency would make it difficult to use 5G applications—like tactile internet and virtual reality—while lower latency would be inefficient in its bandwidth use and cost.
Published June 27, 2017
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