Post Graduate Diploma

Telecommunications and Information Engineering

Chapter 3

5G C-RAN

C-RAN and Base Station Architecture Evolution:

The base stations are used to interconnect phone signals between a user's device and the core
network. When a mobile device is connected to the nearest cell tower, it was the base station’s
job to transmit the traffic (voice, data, video traffic) to the core network owned by the telecom
company. C-RAN architecture is the centralized BBUs of the already existing traditional Base
stations altogether to create a single pool. Accordingly, management and sharing resources
dynamically between all BBUs can be done. C-RANs have advantages over traditional networks,
like efficient resources utilization, low power consumption and no interference.

Fig. 3-1 Fig. 3-2

Traditional Cellular Network Architecture:

The traditional cellular network architecture, a Distributed Radio Access Network (D-RAN)
consists of a group of Base Stations (BS) or NodeB (NB), usually sprinkled on top of buildings to
form a cell network, which provided wireless access to mobile users. It is composed of an
antenna, radio frequency (RF) equipment (RRH), digital processors, and baseband units
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Telecommunications and Information Engineering

(BBUs). the functions of the radio unit and BBU are co-existed in the same cell site (Base
station). The RRHs and BBUs are directly connected via CPRI or Common Public Radio Interface,
meaning that for every one RRH there will be one BBU connected to process the data. 

Fig. 3-3

1.1- 5G C-RAN Architecture:

NGN C-RAN Architecture is achieved by splitting up the Base station into two parts: a baseband
signal processing unit (BBU) and a radio unit (RRH). The radio unit (RRH) still stays at the cell site
while the BBUs are located into a centralized office called BBU pool. RRH has many functions
like interface to the fiber, digital processing, Digital to Analog Conversion (DAC), Analog to
Digital Conversion (ADC), filtering, and power amplification. The connection between the BBU
and RRH depends on the deployed network type. The distance between an RRH and a BBU pool
is up to 40 km depending on fiber propagation delay and BBU signal processing. However, the
fronthaul can be optical fiber or microwave. Generally, our planning is based on the optical
fiber since it is the recommended to be used in the NGN to meet the requirements of the
enormous demand of data rate. This BBU aggregation can share the available computing
resources efficiently, and can reduce the maintenance cost for the 5G network.

Fig. 3-4
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Telecommunications and Information Engineering

- 5G C-RAN architecture encompasses three parts:

1- BBU pool which consists of a large number of BBUs with centralized processors located at
the CO.
2-RRHs with antennas system located at the cell sites.
3-Fronthaul transport link which connects the BBU pool to the RRHs via CPRI and needs low
latency and high bandwidth to meet the 5G requirements.

- BBU
• BBU pool consists of multiple BBUs in a form of a cloud,
• Each capable to serve many RRHs.
• BBUs can be located at Central Office (CO) or Data Centres (DCs) of system.
• BBUs process and schedule the incoming signals from different RRHs and optimizing
radio resource allocation.

- RRH
• RRH is located at the cell site.
• Transmit the RF signals to users and forward the baseband signals from the users to the
BBU pool via optical fiber fronthaul links.
• It provides the wireless signal coverage for the cell site area.
• It comprises of Analogue to Digital Conversion (ADC) and Digital to Analogue Conversion
(DCA), Power Amplifier (PA), antennas system, interface adaptation, voltage suppliers
and Low Noise Amplifier (LNA).
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Telecommunications and Information Engineering

- Benefits of relocation
• By moving most of the baseband processing from cell site to BBU pool to
- A centralized BBU Pool enables an efficient utilization of BBUs.
- Reduction of electricity cost, as the number of BBUs in a C-RAN is reduced compared to
a traditional RAN.
- Decrease of cooling resources, which takes 46% of cell site power consumption
- Handover time is reduced as it can be done inside the BBU Pool instead of between
gNBs.
- Ease in network upgrades and maintenance
- Reduce both CAPEX and OPEX.
- Reduction of footprint at cell site
- Allow more optimized energy consumption.
- Less complexity and of course lowers their price.
- Resolve the trade-off between performance, cost, and efficiency challenges.
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Telecommunications and Information Engineering

Fig. 3-5

- Heterogeneous C-RAN (HetNet)

- The most prominent way to increase network capacity is by either adding more cells,
creating a complex structure of Heterogeneous and Small cell Networks (HetSNets) or
by implementing techniques such as multiuser MIMO.
- It has multiple types of radio access nodes in a cellular network, e.g., macro, micro, pico,
femto cells and relay nodes which are designed to meet the increasing traffic demand in
broadband wireless networks.
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Telecommunications and Information Engineering

Fig. 3-6

Fig. 3-7

- Proposed C-RAN architecture represented by an Orchestra

Server
• For the current work, an Orchestra Server (OS) is proposed as a server in the BBU pool
to support the C-RAN architecture in terms of energy management and self-
organization.
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Telecommunications and Information Engineering

• The OS hosts a proposed algorithm to find the proper network configuration setting
dynamically. It recognizes the network status and instantaneous data traffic demand for
each RRH to produce a decision to switch to making reconfiguration of the BBUs-RRHs.
• An internal switch in Layer-2, behind the BBU pool, is responsible for redirecting traffic
from overloaded BBUs to others. That is, this switch response to the OS commands is to
reduce the number of BBUs in the context of energy management and saving energy.

Fig. 3-8

Fig. 3-7
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Fronthaul Proposed Solution

Fronthaul is defined as the fiber-based connection in RAN infrastructure

between the Baseband Unit (BBU) and Remote Radio Head (RRH).
Fronthaul originated with LTE networks when operators first moved their
radios closer to the antennas. This new link was established to supplement
to the backhaul connection between the BBU and central network core.

As new 5G use cases roll out, flexible fronthaul configurations have

become an essential ingredient for balancing the latency, throughput and
reliability demands of advanced 5G applications. 

Next-generation RAN is resulting in increased fronthaul fiber deployment

and a greater reliance on multiplexing, virtualization and split fronthaul
architecture.

Fronthaul main Features:

• It provides high bandwidth and low latency links to handle the

requirements of multiple RRHs.
• The proposed link is an optical fiber communication.
• The proposed fiber optic link bandwidth is 10Gbps based on the
estimated traffic in the knowledge city.

- Fronthaul Networks for C-RAN

• Optical fiber fronthaul link is proposed instead of wireless fronthaul to provide the
required data rate for the next generation cellular network.
• The optical fiber network is divided into three main parts:
- Optical Line Terminal (OLT) that represents signal generation and modulation
techniques optical amplifier & filters located at the BBU pool.
- Optical Fiber Network (OFN) that own optical fiber characteristics
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Telecommunications and Information Engineering

- Optical Network Unit (ONU) that the function of signal detection such as photodiode as a
receiver, electronic amplifiers and filters located near the RRHs.

Fig. 3-9

- C-RAN WDM Fronthaul components

• In the downstream direction the function of an OLT is to take in information from the
BBU pool to ONU through passive splitters that allow communication between the OLT
and their respective ONU, and passive splitters located at the near ONUs. In the reverse
direction (upstream), OLT accepts and distributes all the traffic from the network RRHs
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Telecommunications and Information Engineering

Fig. 3-10

• The main component of this type is WDM; it is a technology where multiple optical
channels can be simultaneously transmitted at different wavelengths through a single
optical fiber.
• WDM considers one of the most promising concepts for high capacity communication
systems. Each channel is allocated a communication system with different wavelengths
and can be multiplexed by using Multiplexer (Mux) onto a single fiber.
• At the destination, wavelengths are separated to different receiver locations by using a
Demultiplexer (DeMux) or by using optical splitter.
• In addition, the WDM is a suitable solution for the heterogeneous network to limit fiber
resource. The WDM technology enabled the C-RAN to improve the bandwidth link
between the BBU and RRH, where multi wavelengths (40-80) can be transmitted in a
single mode optical fiber; therefore a large number of RRH can be supported with single
optical fiber.

Evolution of Fronthaul

The evolution of fronthaul in mobile networks has mirrored the increasing

reliance on optical fiber for broadband networks, as bandwidth and latency
requirements in both domains have continued to drive fiber deployments
deeper and higher. Prior to the release of 4G, fiber was used primarily for
transport networks. Higher performance standards, the development of
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multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) technology and advanced radio

coordination practices dovetailed with the arrival of remote radio solutions
and the introduction of fronthaul to the optical fiber lexicon.

Fronthaul Networks

Achieving gigabit speeds and 1-millisecond latency raises the bar for all
aspects of 5G infrastructure including the established boundaries of
fronthaul transport capacity. Fiber is transmission media that can
overcome these obstacles with scalable fiber management and flexibility
needed to meet the increasing fronthaul demands. Dark fiber, if available, is
the most cost-effective option for an immediate fronthaul network capacity
boost. This solution also offers one of the best options, with fast
deployment and the lowest impact on latency.

WDM

Wave division multiplexing (WDM) can enable more efficient use of

fronthaul fiber links. By transmitting over multiple wavelengths, traffic from
several antennas can be sent through the network over a single dark fiber.
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Telecommunications and Information Engineering

Fig. 3-11

Fig. 3-12

Suggested Ring Topology for Overcoming Network

Failures in C-RAN
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Telecommunications and Information Engineering

Fig. 3-13

Network Future Expansion

Upgrades can be done for two purposes
• Increasing coverage
– Add more RRH to the existing network
– Need to also add the corresponding fronthaul link
• Increasing capacity
– Add more BBU to the pool