Nokia Time-sensitive Packet Switch (TPS)

2019: Announcement of family of network package switches 1830 TPS for Cloud RAN 5G

On October 25, 2019 the company Nokia announced the next network package switches family 1830 Time-sensitive Packet Switch (TPS). These package switches are focused on the level of a radio access (Fronthaul) of networks of mobile communication and intended for cost reduction and simplification of deployment cloud of radio access networks of Cloud RAN due to use of optical transport solutions packet switched. The next family of package switches will provide unification of the optical transport layer for networks of mobile communication 4G and 5G as supports joint transparent transfer of both traditional, and modern protocols of wireless access.

Appearance of the next family of package switches is especially important for 5G networks focused on support of the applications requiring a midget delay, i.e. the minimum interval for which the signal is transmitted from one device to another and in the opposite direction. Due to movement of network software applications to the network periphery in those nodes of network where the MEC technology (multi-access edge computing) is applied, i.e. at the greatest possible approach of these annexes to users by services of network of mobile communication, it will be possible to reduce considerably distance which is overcome by signals and consequently to lower a delay at signal transmission on network.

Implementation of architecture of Cloud RAN with transfer of a number of functions of a radio access network of RAN on the nodes implemented on the network periphery on MEC technology will allow to provide support of a modern application class, sensitive to delay factor at signal transmission on network. Implementation of cloud radio access networks of Cloud RAN is connected with the increasing interest of users in critical rather time response characteristics of services and, therefore, with implementation on network of mobile communication of very strict requirements to the transport layer of network regarding scalability, ensuring low values of delays and determinancy.

Tough procedures of prioritization by transfer of packets and cycles (frame preemption) in switches 1830 TPS will allow to interrupt, according to modern international recommendations, transfer of low-priority packets (cycles) at emergence of high-priority packets (cycles) and by that to reduce a delay by transfer of high-priority packets (cycles), i.e. to create the determined paths over a packet network of Ethernet packet switched. Earlier similar determinancy was unavailable to packet networks, but it it was crucial for reliable providing services with strict requirements on cross-network delay. High-precision synchronization will allow to synchronize correctly functions of 5G network, and use of experience of Nokia company in the field of management of flows with the Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) protocols will allow to increase at implementation of switches 1830 TPS by 40% efficiency of use of capacity of a system in comparison with alternative solutions.

In many cases the unrolled 5G networks will be operated together with the existing 4G networks. Therefore it is necessary to have such solution for mobile transport which could support different transmission rates and protocols. The possibility of encapsulation of packets on Radio-over-Ethernet (RoE) technology allows to use switches 1830 TPS for joint transfer both traditional flows of CPRI, and normal package traffic of Ethernet. On the same single network considering requirements to delays of service flows both package flows of eCPRI, and traditional traffic of the Backhaul level of network of mobile communication can be transferred.

When our customers develop complex 5G networks, they need the transport solutions supporting the existing traffic of fronthaul and backhaul and also architecture of Cloud RAN with the optimized performance. Switches 1830 TPS allow to optimize transfer of all traffic in the existing 4G networks and new 5G networks due to use of a single transport platform. Marcus Weldon, the executive director of Nokia on technologies and the president of Bell Labs Nokia

With the advent of package switches 1830 TPS we considerably will improve economic indicators as the centralized network layer, and cloud solutions for a radio access of Cloud RAN of networks of mobile communication. Implementation of the technology considering time delays in network interaction will give to operators enhanced capabilities on implementation of the new services provided in real time and also will allow to increase the level of monetization of the investments upon transition to a cloud network architecture that will provide the best characteristics and high performance, flexibility and the general cost reduction to 50% in comparison with the existing alternative solutions for the Fronthaul level of network of mobile communication. Sam Bucci, senior vice president of department of optical networks of Nokia