A solution is considered to be RAN based if it can fulfill the synchronization requirements of the RAN network without synchronization support from the transport. Transport-based solutions, in which synchronization is distributed over the transport network, rely on two key technologies: frequency synchronization over the. Several aspects need to be considered when selecting the most appropriate synchronization solution(s), including installation and operation costs, synchronization.
Do 5G networks need time synchronization?
Many of the commercial 5G networks going live around the world today use TDD. TDD radio frames inherently require time and phase alignment between radio base stations, to prevent interferences and related loss of traffic. Time synchronization is also required in FDD networks when different radio coordination features are used.
Proper network synchronization is a prerequisite to excellent radio network performance. Some of the most compelling use cases for 5G, including industrial automation, depend on more accurate timing and will likely generate additional synchronization requirements in the near future.
How to synchronize distributed radio units in 5G ran architecture?
This includes using Precision Time Protocol (PTP) and radio interface-based methods to synchronize distributed radio units in the evolved RAN architecture, where the upper and lower parts of the 5G New Radio (NR) RAN are separated in the different logical units: the centralized unit (CU), the distributed unit (DU) and the radio unit (RU).
Should the tightest synchronization requirement be a general 5G requirement?
While the level of the required synchronization accuracy depends on several factors, it would be a mistake to apply the tightest synchronization requirement as a general 5G requirement, as doing so would make the cost for 5G and the future evolution of the mobile technologies unsustainable.
In 3GPP New Radio (NR), cell phase synchronization is specified as 3µs – that is, the same as for LTE. This is because the reduced transient times in NR made it possible to keep the same synchronization requirement with low overhead.
What is 5G New Radio?
5G New Radio introduces a new type of wireless backhaul known as integrated access and backhaul that is of particular interest for dense deployment of street-level radio nodes. Almost every industry can be transformed with cellular IoT.