Broadband Forum has released its technical report 5G Transport Architecture and Requirements (TR-521), offering recommendations for architecture and equipment requirements to provide transport networks suitable for supporting 5G mobile radio access network (RAN).
“5G cannot perform without the support of well founded transport networks. These transport networks must be prepared to support the vast number of use cases and services that can be realized with 5G with features including higher capacity, enhanced performance, and high reliability,” said David Sinicrope, Broadband Forum’s Access and Transport Architecture (ATA) Work Area Director. “The publication of TR-521 provides a functional reference architecture, and equipment requirements for transport networks supporting 5G fronthaul and backhaul. It benefits both operators in specifying what is expected of the transport equipment they procure and transport equipment vendors in deciding what to implement and how it will be used.”
Broadband Forum has also released the specification, Mobile – Transport Network Slice Instance Management Interfaces (MMI) (TR-522) to address, as the name suggests, transport network slice management interfaces.
5G end-to-end slicing facilitates multiple logical self-contained networks on top of a common physical infrastructure platform. In realizing a 5G end-to-end slice, the 3GPP management system needs to be aligned with the corresponding transport network management to ensure that the desired performance, functionality and connectivity is fulfilled.
TR-522 addresses the interfaces between 3GPP Management System and the Transport Network Managers helping to provide this alignment. Specifically, the work defines interfaces to support the configuration, assurance, monitoring and reconfiguration of 5G network slices in 5G networks.
Both specifications, along with accompanying Market Reports (MR-521.1 and MR-522) which explain the motivation for the work, have been completed by Broadband Forum’s Mobile Transport and Routing Project Stream within the Access & Transport Architecture (ATA) Work Area. The Mobile Transport and Routing Project Stream is responsible for the Forum’s mobile transport and routing architectural work, including the control, management, and data planes. These architectures leverage new industry technology and practices, while protecting the investment in deployed networks.
