Software-defined Open Access for flexible and service-oriented 5G deployment

The evolution of 5G mobile radio and its complex interaction with fixed access network infrastructures poses new challenges and opportunities. In this article, a software-defined converged fixed-mobile 5G architecture is introduced using carrier-grade Ethernet as a transport platform. An active remote node (ARN) is used to connect end-users. Powered at a radio base station, the ARN aggregates the traffic of fixed and mobile radio users. Transport capacity is reduced due to statistical multiplexing, and scalability is achieved by a modular design. The ARN enables software-defined networking (SDN) via the open-networks-as-a-service (Open NaaS) control and management plane. Adopting the Open Access model, this architecture offers both, multi-technology and multi-operator features. Next generation fronthaul, resource sharing, synchronization, low latency can all be established as services to build an advanced 5G infrastructure. Key concepts of the new architecture have been realized using low-cost hardware and offer economic high-speed, fixed and mobile Internet. E.g., for wireless connectivity to macro- and small cells, mm-wave links reaching 5 Gb/s and short-range optical wireless links have been used. As data rates can be scaled up, the proposed architecture is considered future-proof for converged 5G fixed-mobile access networks.