Silicon Photonics in Optical Access Networks for 5G Communications

TL;DR

This paper advocates for using silicon photonics in optical access networks to enhance 5G radio access by enabling intelligent, high-capacity optical fronthaul at the network edge, supporting densification and interference management.

Contribution

It proposes leveraging silicon photonics for optical fronthaul in 5G networks and discusses strategies for network densification and smart edge deployment.

Findings

Silicon photonics can effectively support optical fronthaul for 5G.

Smart edge networks can coordinate wireless transmissions to reduce interference.

Recent demonstrations validate the feasibility of the proposed approach.

Abstract

Only radio access networks can provide connectivity across multiple antenna sites to achieve the great leap forward in capacity targeted by 5G. Optical fronthaul remains a sticking point in that connectivity, and we make the case for analog radio over fiber signals and an optical access network smartedge to achieve the potential of radio access networks. The edge of the network would house the intelligence that coordinates wireless transmissions to minimize interference and maximize throughput. As silicon photonics provides a hardware platform well adapted to support optical fronthaul, it is poised to drive smart edge adoption. We draw out the issues in adopting oursolution, propose a strategy for network densification, and cite recent demonstrations to support our approach.