Throughput Requirements for RAN Functional Splits in 3D-Networks

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the data rate requirements for different RAN functional splits in 3D-Networks, focusing on non-terrestrial platforms and their trade-offs in complexity and fronthaul data rates.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of fronthaul data rate requirements for RAN splits in non-terrestrial 3D-Networks, extending terrestrial concepts to aerial platforms.

Findings

Fronthaul data rate varies with split options and platform constraints.

Trade-offs exist between complexity and data rate in split selection.

Lower physical layer splits reduce power consumption but may limit performance.

Abstract

The rapid growth of non-terrestrial communication necessitates its integration with existing terrestrial networks, as highlighted in 3GPP Releases 16 and 17. This paper analyses the concept of functional splits in 3D-Networks. To manage this complex structure effectively, the adoption of a Radio Access Network (RAN) architecture with Functional Split (FS) offers advantages in flexibility, scalability, and cost-efficiency. RAN achieves this by disaggregating functionalities into three separate units. Analogous to the terrestrial network approach, 3GPP is extending this concept to non-terrestrial platforms as well. This work presents a general analysis of the requested Fronthaul (FH) data rate on feeder link between a non-terrestrial platform and the ground-station. Each split option is a trade-of between FH data rate and the respected complexity. Since flying nodes face more limitations regarding power consumption and complexity on board in comparison to terrestrial ones, we are investigating the split options between lower and higher physical layer.