Currently, fronthaul network in C-RAN architecture is built with traditional darkfiber connection, which cannot meet the demand of massive innovative 2B, 2C applications in the 5G era, such as telemedicine, distance education, telematics, and remote control automatic management. FiberHome recently released semi-active MWDM, providing operators 5G fronthaul bearer solution with low cost, low power consumption, easy deployment and easy O&M.

Pipe, cost, time, the 3 major problems in 5G fronthaul, promoting rapid growth of bearer solution

C-RAN will be an important scenario in 5G deployment. Pipe, cost and time are the major bottlenecks in 5G fronthaul. It is embodied in following 3 aspects:

1. The insufficient pipe resource. The fiber resource in urban is getting insufficient and the laying of optical cable is gradually limited. In areas where pipe resource is scarce, there will be no pipe resource or the scenario that fiber cable can be laid.

2. The high cost optical cable. In the C-RAN architecture, when the distance is over 1km, passive WDM will have a cost advantage over newly built optical cables, and when it comes to semi-active WDM, the distance is 3.5km.

3. The long construction period. The average construction period of optical cable laying is close to 8 weeks, while the period of passive / semi-active WDM is less than 1 week.

The 3 major problems promote rapid growth of bearer solution. For passive WDM, inconsistent technical standards, unclear O&M interface and low quality are big headaches. For active WDM, high cost, high power consumption and difficulty in remote power supply are problems that must be faced. All of these led the releasing of semi-active WDM.

With 7 features semi-active WDM will be the optimal 5G fronthaul solution

Because of operator's increasing operating pressure, weak revenue and even negative growth, the cost reduction requirement has been put forward for the selection of 5G fronthaul bearer solutions. At the same time, the amount of 5G construction is larger than that of 4G. Efficiency promotion will be vital in 5G construction and O&M. In this context, the 5G fronthaul bearer solution has 4 major requirements from customers: low cost, low power consumption, easy deployment, and easy O&M. FiberHome’s semi-active WDM solution has obvious advantages as following:

Low cost. The cost of semi-active WDM is only 30%-50% higher than passive WDM, but at least 3.5 times lower than active WDM.

Low power consumption. The single-direction power consumption of semi-active is less than 15W, which is 20 times lower than active WDM.

Fast deployment. Semi-active WDM deployment is 2 times faster than that of active WDM, and 7 times faster than that of newly built lines.

Easy O&M.

Large bandwidth. In semi-active WDM practical application, the largest access capacity of single core is 300G, the theoretical capacity of single core is up to 450G.

Low latency. Latency High reliability. OLP1+1 protection in line side and local side supports power off bypass.

With 7 features semi-active WDM will be the optimal 5G fronthaul solution.