Viavi recently released a report that takes on the issue: are network operators ready to support the full gamut of the 5G network? Entitled The 5G Fronthaul Handbook, it addresses questions about the 5G impact on networks and key test considerations that will, according to the report, “reduce deployment time and help systems operators achieve their goals.”
Key 5G use cases such as Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC), and Massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC) are explored in the report as is the challenge of how to support them on the same network. Although the latest buzz has been centered on 5G-NR (new radio), virtualized core, and mm-Wave spectrum, the report looks at the evolution of the transport network connecting 5G nodes that enable the key 5G use cases.
From the beginning of the Fronthaul Evolution, through various testing functions for the 5G transport network for 5G, midhaul Network Test, GPS, FTN and PTP tests, the report provides a wide array of detailed analysis and useful charts.
The paper concludes, “As service providers continue the quest to offer new 5G services that require different levels of quality, they are bound to evolve from a CPRI-based fronthaul approach to a more packet based-split architecture. This architecture can meet their needs because it offers greater flexibility, but it also requires a different testing approach.” Download it here.
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