A pragmatic industrial road map for shifting the existing fronthaul from CPRI to 5G compatible eCPRI

Abstract

In this fast approaching era of 5G deployments, MNOs have started implementing Centralized radio access networks (C-RAN) so that it can fulfil the prodigious requirements of future 5G services in terms of network latency, service availability, capacity, and network coordination. The fronthaul interface will now have to adapt to various functional splits and cannot be constrained to one split option. Thus evolved Common Public Radio Interface (eCPRI) has been introduced for the communication between the evolved Radio Equipment Controller (eREC) and evolved Radio Equipment (eRE). This article aims to deliver a basic understanding of eCPRI specification: its concept, design and synchronisation. The author plans to give the industrial world a realistic glimpse of the amendments required in the already deployed CPRI fronthaul so as to make it 5G compatible eCPRI, and research challenges in the next-generation 5G mobile network.