PUBLISHER: PracTel, Inc. | PRODUCT CODE: 1539239
PUBLISHER: PracTel, Inc. | PRODUCT CODE: 1539239
5G - From Microcells to Attocells: RF and Optical Wireless Mobile Backhauls - Markets, Technologies and Applications
This report is about Small Cells (SCs), their applications, the industry and marketing and technological developments. As an integral part of SC, backhaul solutions are detailed. Specifics of microwave backhauls are analyzed and their advantages are emphasized. The report also introducing a relatively new group of technologies for SC backhauling: OWC - Optical Wireless Communications; and particular Free Space Fiber (FSF) and VLC/LiFi- Visible Light Communications/Light Fidelity, which guarantee extremely low latency and "unlimited" bandwidth. A hybrid solution - FSF/LiFi - is also coming to the picture to enhance SC backhauls.
In particular, the report analyzing dynamically evolving small cells technologies, concentrating on their advantages, varieties and specifics. Major applications are analyzed; and standardization developments are emphasized. Based on the in-depth industry analysis of multiple studies and interviews with vendors, market prognoses (2024-2028) are presented. The survey of more than thirty-five small cell equipment vendors and their portfolios is also provided. It is shown that 4G mobile technologies (concurrent with 5G) will concentrate on building HetNets in which small cells play an important role.
The report emphasizes that the small cells backhaul solution may prove or break the small cell business case. Specifics of small cells backhauls, their varieties and differences from macro cells backhauls are analyzed in details. The need for standardization is emphasized. The study of industry trends, interviews with vendors and the analysis of publicly available statistical data helped to perform the marketing analysis. The survey of vendors (about 30 manufacturers of small cells backhaul solutions) reflects this industry specifics and trends. There is a range of use cases for open access small cells, from targeted demand hotspots in city centers, through generalized capacity uplift, to serving not-spots in remote rural areas. In each case the emphasis on backhaul requirements shifts and aspects that are critical to one type of deployment can be relaxed in others. Solutions with different characteristics will address the needs of different types of small cells backhaul in different areas.
Fiber and microwave are complementary technologies with different use cases. Microwave backhaul allows for a faster and more cost-efficient rollout compared with fiber while fiber offers greater capacities. In a positive development, more countries have been making the E-band available for microwave backhaul.
Microwave is the preferred solution for long-distance transfers. It is also the better choice in countries where regulatory problems complicate fiber rollouts, such as India or Egypt.
Wireless backhauls for SCs are prevailing now and it is expected that they will keep this leadership position in future.
This report also provides details of optical wireless backhauls that bringing multiple enhancements. Two Optical Wireless Communications subclasses - Visible Light Communications/Light Fidelity (VLC/LiFi) and Free Space Fiber (FSF) are addressed. Attocell-based networks allow to build super-dense structures, which characteristics are superior to RF-based networks in many aspects.
This report provides SCs and their backhaul solutions technological and marketing analysis. It can be useful for service providers, vendors, network operators and managers, Enterprise IT staff, investors and end users seeking to gain a deeper understanding of the SC developmental trends in the mobile industry.
The end users will gain a more thorough understanding of technologies and their capabilities as well as economics.
Table of Contents
1.0. Introduction
- 1.1. General
- 1.2. Current Situation and Role of Small Cells
- 1.3. Further Densification: Optical Attocells
- 1.4. SC Backhaul
- 1.5. Scope
- 1.6. Report Structure
- 1.7. Research Methodology
- 1.8. Target Audience
2.0. Mobile Technologies Generations
- 2.1 4G Specifics
- 2.1.1. Traffic Volume and SC
- 2.1.2. From 3G to 4G - Experience
- 2.1.3. 4G Distinct Features
- 2.2 5G Specifics
- 2.2.1. IMT Evolution
- 2.2.2. 5G Timetable (3GPP-ITU) and SCs
- 2.2.3. 5G - Achievements
- 2.3. Advanced 5G and 6G Specifics
- 2.3.1. Timetable
- 2.3.2. 5G Advanced
- 2.3.3. 5G and 6G
- 2.4. Process
3.0. Small Cells Development
- 3.1. Rational
- 3.2. Nomenclature
- 3.2.1. Group
- 3.3. Background
- 3.3.1. Methods
- 3.4. Applications
- 3.4.1. Indoor Use Cases
- 3.4.2. Outdoor Use Cases
- 3.4.3. Public Safety Communications
- 3.4.4. Summary
- 3.5. Benefits and Issues
- 3.5.1. Backhaul Challenge
- 3.5.2. Comparison
- 3.6. Small Cell Market
- 3.6.1. Market Geography
- 3.6.2. Estimate
- 3.7. Standardization
- 3.7.1. Organizations
- 3.7.2. First Standard
- 3.7.3. Standard Interfaces - 3GPP
- 3.7.4. 3GPP Rel.12 and SCs
- 3.8. Small Cell Industry
- Airspan
- AirHop Communications
- Baicells
- Broadcom (acquired by Avago in 2015)
- Cisco
- CommScope
- Contela
- Corning
- Ericsson
- Fujitsu
- Juniper
- Huawei
- Intel
- Gilat
- Mavenir
- NEC
- Nokia
- Qualcomm
- Parallel Wireless
- Radisys
- Samsung
- Sercomm
- TI
- Xilinx
- ZTE
4.0. Small Cell Backhaul
- 4.1. General
- 4.2. Classification
- 4.3. Specifics
- 4.3.1. Challenge
- 4.3.2. Differences
- 4.4. Parameters
- 4.4.1. Factors
- 4.4.2. Planning
- 4.5. Need for Standardization
- 4.6. Market Characteristics
- 4.6.1. Components
- 4.6.2. TCO Factor
- 4.7. Small Cell Backhaul Industry
- Airvine Scientific
- Actelis (wireline)
- Airspan (integrated wireless backhaul - Wi-Fi 5 - NLOS)
- Cambium (sub-6 GHz)
- Cambridge Broadband (Microwave Backhaul)
- Exalt (Microwave)
- Fastback Networks (Wireless)
- Intracom (Microwave)
- Radwin (sub-6 GHz)
- Ceragon (sub-6 GHz and other)
- Siklu
- TI (NLoS)
- 4.8. Summary
5.0. Optical Backhaul
- 5.1. Why Optical
- 5.2. Light Fidelity
- 5.2.1. General
- 5.3. IEEE 802.15.7
- 5.3.1. Considerations
- 5.3.2. Project
- 5.4. Differences - LiFi and VLC
- 5.5. 5G View
- 5.5.1. Attocell
- 5.5.2. Cell Structures
- 5.5.3. Hybrid: Varieties
6.0. Free Space Fiber
- 6.1. General
- 6.1.1. Background
- 6.2. Major Characteristics
- 6.3. Protection
- 6.4. Major Use Cases
- 6.4.1. Requirements
- 6.4.2. Intra-building Communications
- 6.4.3. Inter-building Communications
- 6.4.4. Summary
- 6.5. FSF Communications Benefits and Limitations: Summary
- 6.5.1. Weather Factor
- 6.5.2. Building Swaying
- 6.5.3. Atmospheric Attenuation
- 6.6. Design Issues
- 6.6.1. Directions
- 6.6.2. Major Use Cases
- 6.6.3. Enhancements
- 6.7. FSF Market
- 6.7.1. General
- 6.7.2. Market Drivers and Use Cases
- 6.7.3. Market Segments
- 6.7.4. Competition
- 6.7.5. Forecast
- 6.8. VLC and FSF
- 6.9. FSF Industry
- AIRLINX Communications
- BridgeComm
- CableFree
- CBL
- Collinear
- Dailianxu Engineering Company
- fSONA
- Guilin
- Plaintree
- SA Photonics (a CASI Company)
- Tesat
- Transcelestial
- Taara
7.0. Advantages of OWC - Summary
8.0. Conclusions
List of Figures
- Figure 1: Mobile Data Traffic Growth - Global (Petabytes/Month)
- Figure 2: Current Developments
- Figure 3: ITU-R Schedule for IMT-2020 Development
- Figure 4: 3GPP - Tentative Timeline - 5G Standardization - 3GPP Releases
- Figure 5: Evolution
- Figure 6: Small Cell Evolution
- Figure 7: mmWave Advantages
- Figure 8: Macro vs Small BSs - Shipped (Ratio)
- Figure 9: Capacity vs Coverage
- Figure 10: Estimate: SCs Installed Global Market Size (Mil. Units)
- Figure 11: Estimate: SC Installed Global Market Size ($B)
- Figure 12: SCs and 3GPP Releases
- Figure 13: 3GPP Rel. 12 SC Enhancements
- Figure 14: Scenario 1
- Figure 15: Scenario 2
- Figure 16: SC Backhaul Illustration
- Figure 17: Technologies - SC Backhaul
- Figure 18: Technological Changes
- Figure 19: Summary: Specifics of Backhauls - SCs vs Macrocells
- Figure 20: Estimate: SC Backhaul - Global Market Size ($B)
- Figure 21: Estimate: Global Market - SC Microwave Backhaul ($B)
- Figure 22: PMP and PTP Architectures
- Figure 23: Electromagnetic Spectrum
- Figure 24: PHY Types
- Figure 25: Topologies
- Figure 26: Hybrid VLC/RF System
- Figure 27: Hybrid Structures
- Figure 28: Simplified FSF Channel Diagram
- Figure 29: FSF Market Segments
- Figure 30: Estimate: FSF Global Market Value ($B)
- Figure 31: FSF Market Geography
List of Tables
- Table 1: Details - 3GPP Releases Schedule (as of 2024)
- Table 2: Major Characteristics of 5G Network (preliminary)
- Table 3: Small Cell BS - Characteristics and Classification
- Table 4: SC Parameters
- Table 5: SC Use Cases Examples
- Table 6: SC Backhaul Types
- Table 7: (a) Non-ideal; and (b) Ideal SC Backhaul Characteristics
- Table 8: Summary: SC Backhauling Choices - Benefits and Limitations
- Table 9: VLC Use Cases
- Table 10: Devices and Characteristics
- Table 11: Comparison: Position Use Cases
- Table 12: Frequency Plan
- Table 13: Atmospheric Attenuation
- Table 14: VLC vs FSF
