Nokia White paper June 2014
Single RAN Advanced Evolution: The future just got simpler
CONTENTS
Executive summary
3
Power through efficiency
4
An evolving technology
5
The evolution of Single RAN
7
How Single RAN helps to meet the capacity challenge
8
Modular design
9
Re-farming
10
RF sharing
11
Baseband (system module) sharing
12
Baseband pooling
13
Transport sharing in backhaul
14
Network sharing
15
Single RAN base station architecture evolution
16
Multicontroller
17
Single RAN Operations and Management
19
Energy efficiency
21
Nokia Single RAN Advanced
23
Nokia Flexi Multiradio 10 Base Station
23
Nokia Flexi Compact Base Station
23
Nokia Single RAN Transport solution
24
Nokia Multicontroller platform
25
Nokia Liquid Radio Software Suites
25
True control over complex networks
26
Abbreviations
27
Page 2
Executive summary The concept and the commercial reality of the Single Radio Access Network (Single RAN) have been around for a few years. Yet such is the potential of the technology to simplify the ever-growing intricacy of the macro radio access layer that it is being developed rapidly and will bring many new benefits for mobile broadband operators. The idea behind Single RAN is simple – operating different radio technologies on a single multi-purpose hardware platform. In its most developed form, Single RAN will comprise one radio installation with common transport and operational and management system with integrated unified security across radio access technologies (RATs). In addition, it enables the coordination and operation of different RATs in a unified way, as well as being able to use existing RATs to bring the best performance by coordinating their advantages. Modularity is a key enabler, allowing capacity to be scaled up in line with demand, and new and existing spectrum to be used more efficiently. In addition, operational efficiency can be improved through network sharing, energy efficiency of the radio network will be raised, and software can be used to define the functions of the hardware for ultimate flexibility, performance and cost effectiveness. Single RAN is already helping many operators to achieve substantial benefits but the coming years will see the technology evolving substantially. When it comes to Single RAN, the best is yet to come. The pace of change in mobile radio access networks has been accelerating since the first GSM radio networks in 1991 and the first Single RAN implementations in 2008. This paper aims to demonstrate the benefits of today’s Nokia Single RAN Advanced solution and to reveal some of the expected developments and their benefits.
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Power through efficiency Despite its widespread adoption, Single RAN defies a common definition. Single RAN is not standardized by an industry body, and equipment vendors offer different features under the Single RAN banner, some based on 3GPP standards, with others being proprietary. Operators typically expect Single RAN to deliver a variety of benefits, including: • Efficient use of spectrum and re-farming • Efficient shared use of hardware • Smooth evolution of GSM, HSPA and LTE • Simplified network architecture • Reduced energy consumption • Converged planning, operations and management • Simplified, fully IP-based transport • Automated 3GPP compliant security • Lower costs and growth in top line All of these benefits are possible, in re-farming, sharing, modernization and evolution, enabling operators to simplify their networks, reduce costs, grow their business and balance their investments more easily and in better ways. LTE 2600 LTE 2300 HSPA 2100 WCDMA 2100 GSM 1800 GSM 900
1Gbps@day
New equipment and networks increasing complexity and costs
LTE 1800 GSM 1800 HSPA 900 GSM 900
Uncertainty in Radio Access Technology capacity lifecycles
LTE 800
Fig. 1: Example of the rising complexity of multiple radio access technologies, on many frequency bands, potentially pushing up costs and complicating investment decisions
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An evolving technology Although Single RAN has its roots in 2008 and is today simplifying many radio access networks, the technology is clearly still far from maturity and will evolve further to deliver substantial new benefits for operators. Single RAN is focused on simplifying the macro network resulting in lower cost network evolution. That’s becoming increasingly important as operators deploy LTE to meet the accelerating mobile broadband boom. It is arguable that LTE was the main trigger for Single RAN as the industry recognized the sheer complexity of adding another radio technology to existing GSM and HSPA layers. Not only is a new radio technology involved, along with a raft of new frequency bands, but IP-based transport needed for LTE must be added to existing ATM and TDM transport links. Single RAN cuts through the complexity by running different technologies on one hardware platform, to move from separate installations for each radio technology with its own transport and operational needs, to single installations with a common transport and operational and management system. Old way of working Vendor A GSM BTS
TDM
O&M A
Single RAN
Vendor B
Vendor C
WCDMA BTS
ATM
O&M B
Region 1
LTE BTS
IP
O&M C
Base Station
Base Station GSM
WCDMA
O&M A
Region 1 Vendor A
LTE
GSM
IP
WCDMA
LTE
O&M B
Region 2 Vendor B
Fig. 2: Single RAN is changing network business by introducing much-simplified base station site structures with common transport and operational support
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This sounds straightforward, but is actually technically complex to achieve because GSM, HSPA and LTE are distinct technologies, developed independently and standardized separately. Features available in one technology may not be available or applicable for the others. In addition, operators expect that the Single RAN products available since 2008 can be re-used with the latest equipment, for example for Re-farming and RF-sharing. This means all three technologies need to be developed in parallel with strong backwards compatibility to maximize the benefits of Single RAN. Security threats are growing as operators move to all-IP networks, which require dedicated measures to protect both the infrastructure and end users. There are several sources of security risk, as networks evolve to all-IP open environments and become vulnerable to the kind of attacks familiar from the IT world. As a fully IP technology, LTE creates vulnerabilities not previously seen in GSM and HSPA networks. The use of IP transport networks for the backhaul, which are inherently more open than traditional transport networks, means that customer data needs to be protected against eavesdropping. Operator networks must be secured against misuse and other threats, such as denial of service attacks, between the base station and packet core. In addition, modern technology and miniaturization enables smaller base stations to be installed in public places, physically accessible to unauthorized tampering. Another issue is the involvement of diverse players like application developers and value added service providers, which also leads to higher and more complex security risks. Today, Single RAN has overcome many obstacles to create much-simplified hardware. In the future we will see that simplification being applied to the software to bring greater flexibility to network operations. Coordination of RATs will bring performance enhancements to the end user and cost savings for the operator. This will not happen overnight. Radio access network projects are huge and in much the same way that Single RAN has taken several years since 2008 to reach its current state of development and implementation by hundreds of operators, we can expect its further evolution to take place step-by-step over the coming years. Nokia Single RAN Advanced solution is adopted worldwide The trend towards Single RAN by operators is global. Of the 450 operators in about 150 countries using radio network equipment from Nokia, close 300 use the company’s Single RAN solution.
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The evolution of Single RAN Single RAN is all about sharing multi-purpose hardware, with functionality determined by shared software, and common Operations and Management, transport, and network performance optimization and configuration. The evolution of more advanced Single RAN capabilities will develop these sharing capabilities to simplify network management and bring greater flexibility, scalability and resiliency for mobile broadband operators. Nokia expects that by 2020, mobile networks will need to be prepared for profitably delivering one gigabyte (1GB) of personalized data per user per day in many markets. That’s a 60-fold increase in total data consumption compared to today. In addition, operators face rising customer expectations that mobile broadband will become more personalized, yet remain affordable. Technology Vision 2020 The Nokia Technology Vision 2020 focuses on enabling mobile broadband networks to profitably deliver 1 gigabyte of personalized data per user per day by 2020. Technology Vision 2020 comprises six technology pillars: • Enabling 1000 times more capacity to meet accelerating data demand • Reducing latency to milliseconds to prepare for the applications of the future • Teaching networks to be self-aware and simplify network management by extreme automation • Personalizing network experience to enable the business models of the future • Reinventing telco for the cloud to create on-demand networks that are agile and scalable • Flattening total energy consumption
Single RAN technologies will continue to evolve to help operators meet these market demands. Key developments are likely to include advanced re-farming for more efficient use of shared spectrum, common network management incorporating self-organizing functions, integrated and unified security across base station technologies, and improved resource sharing and pooling and higher resiliency.
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How Single RAN helps to meet the capacity challenge Single RAN will have a key role in helping operators to meet the expected 1,000-fold increase in data traffic by providing a clear path for adding macro capacity step-by-step. Typically, operators will have legacy GSM and HSPA base stations and are planning to roll out, or are already rolling out, LTE base stations as well. One of the benefits of Single RAN is that legacy base station equipment can be re-used, for example an existing GSM RF module can be re-used in re-farming by GSM-LTE RF sharing, which enables operators to avoid adding LTE RF modules. Much of the new LTE network will be focused initially on providing coverage and will comprise sites with three symmetric sectors for simplicity. Capacity-focused sites typically use three asymmetric sectors with some sectors providing greater capacity than others. Traditionally adding capacity to all RF technologies is achieved by adding radio technology specific RF modules, baseband modules, controller modules and transport capacity as required. With Single RAN products, the capacity additions can also be implemented by common and shared modules. Further capacity gains can then be achieved by implementing advanced software features from the Nokia Liquid Radio GSM, HSPA and LTE Software Suites. The next stage in adding capacity is to split cells horizontally into additional sectors, for example moving to a six-sector site which can boost capacity by up to 80% and coverage by up to 40% compared to existing three-sector sites. Operators can also split cells vertically by deploying active antennas which integrate several power amplifiers and transceivers with the antenna’s dipoles, or radiating elements. This enables beam forming in which the phase and amplitude of the signals from each radiating element inside the antenna are controlled electronically to boost site efficiency and performance. Creating two independent dynamic beams can deliver up to 65% more capacity, together with better coverage and higher data rates. This path to greater capacity using the Single RAN concept enables operators to maximize their macro radio network investments and only when this has been achieved is there likely to be widespread deployment of small cell sites, beyond 2015. Ultimately, the aim of Single RAN is to simplify the growing complexity of macro radio networks. The steady evolution of Single RAN capabilities will continue this simplification and ensure that all hardware deployed will remain usable in the future to protect operator investments.
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Modular design One of the prerequisites for Single RAN is modularity, which enables operators to start with small configurations and scale up as markets grow. Modularity is increasingly needed because the RF technologies are developed independently by standardization (3GPP), because market needs differ and because technology requirements develop differently. A good example is that while the expected 1,000-fold increase in data traffic is valid for LTE, it does not apply to GSM, which will experience only modest growth or in some markets no growth at all. Also, as LTE is initially rolled out to provide basic coverage, there is no need for huge baseband capacity. However, this is likely to change quickly and many LTE sites will need to evolve to larger capacities. Modularity enables affordable capacity expansions.
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Re-farming Re-farming some existing GSM frequencies with LTE and HSPA offers great savings and expanded business opportunities for operators, and the actual network rollout is much simpler with Single RAN. In particular, implementing an additional HSPA RF module into the 900 MHz band instead of the 2100 MHz band may reduce the number of required base station sites by 70%. This translates into a reduction in HSPA base station Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) and Operational Expenditure (OPEX). In addition, operators can expect better network quality to help reduce churn, as well as higher data ARPU from HSPA subscribers than from GSM subscribers. Similar and even greater benefits can also be expected with LTE re-farming. Typical coverage area of 3-sector site in suburban area 2600 TDD 2600 FDD
1.3 1.9
2100
60%
3.2
1800
4.0
900
U850/U900 increases cell area by ~3 times with 50-70% fewer sites compared to U2100
9.2
EU800 0.0
LTE1800 increases cell area by 2-3 times with 50-70% fewer sites compared to LTE2600
10.0 2
4
6 km2
8
10
12
Fig. 3: How the frequency band affects base station site coverage area Re-farming in a narrow GSM frequency band can be painful because the traditional way to introduce higher capacity after hitting the spectrum limit is to split the GSM base station sites by building a micro layer. This typically means a huge number of additional base station sites with lengthy roll-out and lower GSM network quality. With Nokia Liquid Radio GSM Software Suite, operators can perform re-farming in the macro layer, which is much faster to do. The Nokia solution also uses less GSM spectrum than other solutions and maintains high GSM network quality. Today, Nokia Liquid Radio Software Suites enable GSM services to run the equivalent of 4+4+4 GSM RF module capacity in 3.8 MHz bandwidth, freeing up 35% of spectrum capacity for re-farming to HSPA and LTE for mobile broadband. In the future more efficient software will squeeze GSM traffic into less bandwidth – our target is as little as 1 MHz ultimately with similar capacity and network quality.
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RF sharing RF sharing is enabled by Single RAN base station hardware, in practice changing from Single Carrier Power Amplifiers (SCPA) in GSM to Multi Carrier Power Amplifiers (MCPA) as used in LTE and HSPA networks. This opens the door for re-farming because with a simple software upgrade, the existing base station RF can now be used simultaneously for both GSM and LTE, or GSM and HSPA, depending on the frequency band. HSPA and LTE RF sharing is commercially available today. Current products also support triple sharing, but this has not materialized in commercial networks yet, possibly because the GSM frequency band is typically too narrow or fragmented for triple sharing. When the same spectrum is shared, RF power and front haul transport can shared by different RF technologies and we can expect these capabilities to develop further in future product generations. Two dedicated RF
RF sharing
LTE RF GSM RF
WCDMA RF GSM RF
Transport Backhaul sharing One shared RF LTE-GSM RF
LTE WCDMA
ATM
GSM
TDM
WCDMA-GSM RF LTE WCDMA
LTE RF WCDMA RF
Fig. 4: RF sharing examples
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Three backhaul transport networks IP/Ethernet
LTE-WCDMA RF
GSM
IP/Ethernet One shared backhaul
Baseband (system module) sharing The multipurpose Baseband, or System Module, design enables the same baseband hardware to be used for multiple RF technologies, with one software platform at a time, which will simplify installation and maintenance operations. Multipurpose System Module
are
Multiple Software
Common System Module
WCDMA SW GSM SW
Software defined
GSM or HSPA or LTE
LTE SW
Fig. 5: Multipurpose Baseband Modular capacity upgrades TheModular modularRFBaseband design enables an operator to start with small Simple capacity configurations (coverage) and scale up asRFmarkets grow (capacity upgrades LTEin steps). Baseband processing upgrades capacity can be expanded SM/RF by remote software upgrades, adding capacity sub-modules and by WCDMA 1xLTE more chaining additional modules. For example, plugging in one or two systemGSM sub-modules allows capacity to be scaled up two or three times without the need for a new system module. Capacity upgrades by submodules Modular SM
Six system modules less
LTE SM
3xLTE FBBA
3xHSPA
Triple RFGSM Baseband Sharing SM
3xGSM
WCDMA SM
One system module less
adds also fronthaul capacity system modules less Fig. 6: Modular System ModuleTwo capacity upgrades LTE SM
Evo
Evo
LTE,WCDMA,GSM
SM Today,WCDMA all vendors’ baseband products support one RF technology at a time, GSM but SM baseband miniaturization will enable baseband module sharing to further reduce the number of modules and simplifying networks even more.
Triple RF Baseband Sharing Baseband for triple RF Two system modules less
LTE SM WCDMA SM
Evo
LTE,WCDMA,GSM
GSM SM
Fig. 7: Baseband miniaturization in steps Page 12
Baseband pooling Increasingly, cloud technologies will make Single RAN more flexible and more efficient. This applies to the control components of the network as well as the baseband, allowing innovations to lead to more optimized architectures. The baseband will become increasingly flexible to enable processing resources to be dynamically allocated and shared to improve the end-user experience and network performance, including the Single RAN component. As the pool of resources deployed from macro sites becomes very high, integrating all future RATs, sectors, spectra, antennas and even small cells as remote radio heads, new opportunities for pooling resources will arise by using the distributed baseband architecture in place today. Orchestration of these resources will be further simplified using well known tools like virtualization. These will embrace a mix of hardware technologies to deliver uncompromised performance while enabling the required flexibility. Nokia Liquid Applications is a first example of generalized computing capabilities added to a commercial baseband solution. Centralized baseband processing (pool), for example for multiple base stations in a local datacenter, can increase baseband resource efficiency further than is currently possible at macro sites. However, additional savings are typically minor because of the necessary high capacity, low latency fiber optics required between the centralized baseband and RF transceivers. Hence, a dominating driver for Centralized RAN is expected to be optimized radio network performance and the related OPEX savings for baseband equipment. Baseband pooling Traditional BTS site RF
OBSAI/CPRI
SM
BTS dedicated baseband BTS site RF RF
Shared Baseband pool OBSAI/CPRI
SM
Fig. 8: Conventional distributed baseband architecture versus centralized baseband pool
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Further simplification of the network will be achieved by moving from separate front haul links for each radio technology to a single shared front haul cable combined with shared RF modules. One caveat here though is that the use of front haul interfaces like OBSAI and CPRI place capacity restrictions on the baseband pool and we see a need to develop more flexible and higher capacity. This could be front haul solutions based on Ethernet and optical transport networks to achieve rates as high as 10/40 Gbps, compared to 10 Gbps in backhaul. Baseband pooling Traditional BTS site
Transport Fronthaul Sharing Three fronthaul fibres LTE RF
OBSAI/CPRI
RF
WCDMA RF
OBSAI/CPRI
SM
GSM RF
OBSAI/CPRI
BTS dedicated baseband BTS site
LTE RF WCDMA RF GSM RF
New fronthaul One shared fibre
RF RF
Fig. 9: Evolving front haul transport sharing will further simplify networks
Transport sharing in backhaul Transport backhaul sharing aims to simplify the network by moving to one shared IP/Ethernet transport that can support GSM, HSPA and LTE, thus eliminating the need for TDM transport links for GSM and ATM transport links for HSPA. Transport Backhaul sharing LTE
Three backhaul transport networks IP/Ethernet
WCDMA
ATM
GSM
TDM
LTE WCDMA GSM
IP/Ethernet One shared backhaul
Fig. 10: Transport sharing in backhaul
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OBSAI/CPRI
Shared Baseband pool OBSAI/CPRI
SM
Network sharing The sharing of the RAN between two or more operators has been shown to be an effective way to increase operational efficiency and reduce the cost of delivering mobile broadband by up to 50%. In remote and rural areas, where coverage is the primary design criterion for radio network deployment, significant CAPEX savings are easily achievable by sharing the RAN between two or more operators. Network roll-out and time-to-market also speed up, since only one set of new sites needs to be acquired and built. Nokia provides network sharing solutions for all 3GPP-defined radio technologies (GSM, HSPA and LTE) in any combination, including Multi Operator RAN (MORAN) and Multi Operator Core Networks (MOCN) functionality. The Key difference between MORAN and MOCN is the frequency band which is dedicated for MORAN and shared in the case of MOCN. Spectrum re-farming may significantly reduce the set of frequencies allocated to GSM. As a result, MOCN is the most suitable RAN sharing method when there is insufficient spectrum. Operator A PLMN ‘124’ SIB1: PLMN ‘124’ SIB1:’ PLMN ‘344’
MME SAE-GW Base Station
Operator B PLMN ‘344’
MME SAE-GW Fig. 11: Network sharing example: MOCN
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Single RAN base station architecture evolution A key advantage of Single RAN is its use of software to define the functions of the multi-purpose hardware. The evolution of the Single RAN base station is likely to see substantial software development to bring new, aligned capabilities for all RF technologies at the base station site. This requires changes in, for example, product architecture, software management, O&M configuration management and testing as an essential part of Single RAN evolution. Today
Example of an intermediate step
TRS BM ASW
ASW
BM ASW RF
Evo
TRS
TRS BM ASW
• Independent RAT SW releases • Independent RAT SW packages • Independent RAT SW downloads
RF
Evo
BM ASW
• Single RAN SW release • Single RAN SW package • Independent RAT SW downloads
Legend TRS = Transport functionality BM = BTS management functionality ASW = RAT application SW Fig. 12: Single RAN base station architecture evolution steps
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Target BM TRS
RF ASW
• Single RAN SW release • Single RAN SW package • Single RAN SW download • Dynamic inter RAT capacity pooling
Multicontroller Also coming under the umbrella of Single RAN is the radio network controller function required by GSM and HSPA radio technologies. A multicontroller uses common modular hardware with software-based configurations to meet varying traffic profiles. BTS site
RNC site
Scalable capacity
Core network site
Scalable capacity
Scalable capacity
CS Core
PS Core
Fig. 13: Multicontroller scales according to location-specific capacity needs As traffic demand grows, multicontroller capacity can be easily scaled up and with investments in-line with business needs. Similarly, as subscriber usage patterns change over time, the Multicontroller hardware can be readily reconfigured from GSM to HSPA, thereby providing a very straightforward technology migration path and maximizing return on investment. RNC mode modules BSC mode modules
3G capacity requirements
GSM capacity requirements
Fig. 14: Multicontroller hardware can be re-purposed for mcRNC functionality
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RNC mode modules
BSC mode modules
Using the latest multifunctional hardware leads to designs that are far more space efficient than traditional controllers. For example, typical configurations can handle traditional RNC site capacity with only 70% of capacity being used and in less than 10% of the volume. Ultimately this means that Multicontrollers will be easier to site and cheaper to run than their forebears. Unlike GSM and HSPA, 3GPP standardization for LTE radio access eliminates the need for a controller network element, because the controller functions are split between the LTE base station and LTE core network. There is some industry discussion that implementing a centralized LTE scheduler, or controller, could improve cell edge performance. However, not only would this additional network element increase LTE network complexity, but the same gains in cell edge performance can be achieved today more cost effectively by smart scheduling software within and between LTE base stations. In addition, the geographical deployment of the BSC/RNC might differ from the LTE centralized scheduler considerably, reducing any potential benefits of a centralized LTE scheduler. The current understanding is that centralized LTE scheduling and a new controller network element could be beneficial in the small cells layer, but not in the macro base station layer, but this requires further investigation. Current Nokia Flexi Multiradio Base Stations are already ready to implement such central coordination functionality and to integrate small cells both as remote radio heads and via X2 connectivity for optimal HetNet performance. The award-winning Nokia Flexi Zone architecture is one additional example where a cluster of small cells can be software upgraded and enhanced with servercapable controller functionality as capacity needs increase.
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Single RAN Operations and Management Currently, Single RAN is configured, operated and managed separately for different RF technologies, backhaul, controllers and security components. This will evolve to a integrated Operations and Management (O&M) solution that aligns the management of all the components of a Single RAN implementation for the highest overall performance by providing a single entity for visualization and operations. A common O&M solution allows evolution to a single operations approach, reducing the need for radio access specific processes and different tools. One O&M solution also ensures a seamless view across different technologies to manage one high quality network without unnecessary boundaries This, together with an alignment of the feature sets for each radio technology, also simplifies operations for network-wide functionalities, such as load balancing and gives operators full flexibility to manage traffic as required. Furthermore, by introducing self-configuration, self-optimization and self-healing capabilities, a Single RAN network can become self-aware and intelligent with less manual intervention needed. Single RAN BTS Site Management Evo
Traditional LTE WCDMA GSM BTS’s
Single RAN BTS
Fig. 15: Evolving from traditional base station management to Single RAN base station management
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As Single RAN combines different radio technologies and different frequency bands, inter-radio performance, such as load balancing and hand-over quality, need attention. This is where Self Organizing Networks (SON) bring great benefits. The vast number of base stations and cells in a typical multi-technology network lead to a high level of work. By contrast, Nokia Intelligent SON (iSON) ensures that the highest possible network quality is achieved with minimum effort by operating personnel. For example, when a new base station is introduced, iSON selfconfiguration helps operators to roll out networks much faster. iSON also supports the automated secure provisioning of base stations: a certificate authority using Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) ensures only operator-authorized base stations can access the network. The configuration time of a new base station is reduced from hours to just a few minutes. With Automated Neighbor Relations (ANR), the base station recognizes and organizes itself with the best-quality neighbor cells, regardless of the technology. This ensures high quality end-user service. iSON Selfoptimization maintains the highest network quality despite changing conditions of traffic load, network expansion and user behavior.
Analysis and Configuration
Also, iSON’s fault resolution process greatly helps to improve network performance at the small and large scales. iSON even delivers energy savings by automatically making parts of the network inactive during a quiet period.
Automation
Workforce GSM
GSM+WCDMA
GSM+WCDMA+LTE
Fig. 16: iSON for Single RAN benefits
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Energy efficiency In mature markets, 10%-15% of network OPEX is used on energy. In developing markets, this can be up to 50% with a high number of off-grid sites. Over the last two years the largest network operators have reported a growth of 15-35% in their network energy use. Before discussing the opportunities for improvement it is important to first identify the main factors influencing energy consumption in radio access sites. Starting at the base station site, up to 30% of the energy entering a site will often be consumed by site level facilities such as cooling. Another 20% is dissipated in power systems, leaving around 50% of the site’s energy consumption to run the base station itself. Operators adding overlay LTE base station sites have seen that base station site energy consumption is increased typically by 20%. With Single RAN capable base stations, the rise in energy consumption caused by the LTE rollout can be reduced by modernizing the old GSM and HSPA base station components. For example, a Single RAN base station consumes up to 60% less energy compared to traditional single technology base stations. 6000 5000 4000
60%
LTE 1+1+1@40+40W 3G 1+1+1@40W GSM 4+4+4@15W
3000 2000 1000 0
UltraSite+FMR 10BTS
FMR 10BTS
Fig. 17: How LTE upgrades and modernization of base station sites affect energy consumption Similarly the modernization of existing RNC and BSC network elements with a Multicontroller platform consuming as little as 0.55W per served cell, makes networks much more energy efficient than with traditional controllers. Generally, modern base stations do not need air conditioning, unlike most legacy base station sites. Field implementations prove that removing air conditioning systems cuts an additional 30% off a base station site’s energy consumption.
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High order sectorization, for example upgrading to six sectors, can provide up to 80% more capacity for the same total RF power because of higher gain dual beam antennas with more focused beams. Active Antenna Systems (AAS) support vertical sectorization (also called 3D beam forming) and avoid the typical 3 dB feeder losses of conventional sites. Adaptive beam forming raises energy efficiency even further. Future technologies, such as Full Dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO) and Massive MIMO, will deploy arrays of hundreds of small antennas for very fine granular beam steering to sharply focus the radio energy into small areas to avoid wasting energy on spaces where coverage is not needed. Such solutions may contribute considerable additional energy savings. As data traffic grows and extra RF module capacity is needed, refarming is an effective way to reduce energy consumption. Re-farming can raise network data throughput and capacity in GSM spectrum by ten times. Adding a new HSPA RF module in the 900 MHz frequency band instead of at 2100 MHz can result in up to 70% fewer base station sites, creating up to 70% lower energy consumption. Should the existing GSM RF module in the 900 MHz band support GSM/HSPA RF sharing, then an additional 20% energy savings are possible. Deployment studies of live networks show that savings due to network sharing can be 10-20% of the access network energy consumption. However, it is important to note that these network sharing gains are highest when there is low average network utilization. This makes network sharing especially effective in areas with low traffic density, for example for providing energy-efficient coverage in rural areas. There are several other opportunities to further improve base station site energy efficiency: • The processing capacity of baseband processors is doubling every 18 months. This is doubling capacity per Watt consumed and creates the foundation for baseband pools that can be shared efficiently by different RATs • Load-based improvements in RF power amplifier efficiency by optimizing operations according to energy consumption • Network traffic based shutdown of excessive capacity or a second radio access technology overlay will save energy during low traffic periods • Energy savings can be achieved in dedicated LTE bands by disabling the RF power amplifier for very short periods when no OFDM symbols are being transmitted. Nokia’s target is to flatten total mobile network energy consumption despite the anticipated traffic growth.
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Nokia Single RAN Advanced Nokia began deliveries of the world’s first commercial Single RAN product, the Flexi Multiradio Base Station, in 2008 which was deployed in the same year in the world’s first commercial HSPA re-farmed network, for Elisa Finland. Today, close 300 mobile operators around the world use the Nokia Single RAN Advanced solution, with re-farming and RF sharing being the most popular applications. Currently, Nokia has achieved close 100 LTE/HSPA re-farming network references. The Nokia Single RAN Advanced portfolio comprises the following six components: Nokia Flexi Multiradio 10 Base Station This is the smallest software-defined, multi-technology, high-capacity base station on the market and a superb solution for Single RAN. Flexi Multiradio RF modules delivered since 2008 support RF sharing application software, while only one system module type is needed for GSM, HSPA and LTE. Software-de ned for GSM, WCDMA/HSPA+, LTE/LTE-A Industry leading 10 Gbps BTS platform capacity LTE-A capable 4 Gbps world record data speed Pay-as-you grow with capacity sub-modules Powered by Liquid Radio Software Suites
Fig. 18: Nokia Flexi Multiradio 10 Base Station Nokia Flexi Compact Base Station The industry’s first single module, three-sector macro base station with integrated baseband and transport functions. Its low cost single module design fits everywhere - in rural, urban and hotspot locations, with pole, tower top and side wall mounting, without the need for a separate cabinet. Integrated System Module and RF Module Integrated transport interfaces for E1 and Ethernet Output power up to 3 x 60W MCPA Expandable with Flexi modules for LTE/WCDMA Powered by Liquid Radio Software Suites
Fig. 19: Nokia Flexi Compact Base Station
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Nokia Single RAN Transport solution Traditionally, each RF technology has had its own transport network; TDM for GSM and ATM or IP/Ethernet for HSPA. The deployment of LTE requires a new high capacity IP/Ethernet transport network which increases complexity and costs. Typically operators will consider modernizing their GSM and HSPA base stations when they roll out LTE to reduce costs and complexity, and sharing IP/Ethernet transport network is a very natural step. Nokia Single RAN transport solution consists of fully Flexi Base Station and Multicontroller integrated shared, high capacity and secure IP/ Ethernet backhaul solution for GSM, HSPA and LTE technologies. With our solution there is no need for separate cabinets or many O&M solutions for backhaul transport supervision. Common and secure backhaul transport QoS aware Ethernet switching or IP routing Transport termination sharing Pay-as-you grow with transport sub-modules Fully integrated to Flexi Base Stations and Multicontroller
Fig. 20: Nokia Single Transport Solution Core network Secure IPSec tunnel
SGW
Base Station Cert
Certificate Authority Fig. 21: Overview of Nokia IPSec end-to-end solution
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SAE-GW
Security Gateway (SGW)
CSPnet
Internet
Nokia Multicontroller platform The industry’s first modular and compact Multicontroller platform is a field-proven radio network controller for GSM and HSPA, designed to deliver flexibility and with it, a competitive advantage. The Multicontroller can be configured easily and when necessary reconfigured to meet the demands of virtually any traffic mix. Compact form factor Multipurpose technology platform for GSM and WCDMA High scalability & Flexible allocation of processing power Very high reliability and resilience Powered by Liquid Radio Software Suites
Fig. 22: Nokia Multicontroller platform Nokia Liquid Radio Software Suites Nokia Liquid Radio Software Suites for LTE, HSPA and GSM encompass a variety of innovative applications. The software suites allow operators to make their network more fluid, further optimize their radio equipment use, improve network efficiency and get more out of their spectrum. Moreover, with re-farming, the roll out of mobile broadband services is easier and more cost-efficient, potentially helping to increase revenues by enabling faster re-farming. Through simple software upgrades, the software suites effectively increase the network capacity and help operators to balance the use of spectrum and networks more efficiently and thus optimize their expenditure. For subscribers, this leads to a superior mobile broadband experience. The Nokia Liquid Radio GSM Software Suite helps operators to compress existing GSM network traffic into less spectrum, enabling easier and more cost-effective LTE and HSPA re-farming. The Suite also helps operators to re-farm more quickly and with less spectrum than ever before. Liquid Radio GSM Software Suite GSM spectrum Squeeze GSM traffic GSM
LTE/WCDMA
GSM
Fig. 23: Nokia Liquid Radio GSM Software Suite helps to squeeze GSM into less spectrum
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Flexi Multiradio 10 BTS
Products Multicontroller
LTE-A HSPA+ GSM
Single RAN Transport GSM WCDMA
Common IP/Ethernet Backhaul for GSM, WCDMA, LTE
Flexi Compact BTS GSM LTE * WCDMA *
Refarming Solutions RF sharing Software One purpose LTE SW & HW GSM SW & HW
Liquid Radio GSM Software Suite GSM spectrum Shared
Squeeze GSM traffic
LTE & GSM SW GSM
LTE/WCDMA
* See availability from LTE/WCDMA roadmaps Fig. 24: The Nokia single RAN Advanced portfolio overview
True control over complex networks Today, Single RAN supports multiple sharing options like RF sharing, transport sharing, network sharing and spectrum sharing. In the future, Single RAN networks will be even simpler as hardware and software developments progress to enable completely new ways to share hardware dynamically and in the cloud, such as baseband pooling. In addition, end-to-end security is embedded into the evolving Single RAN Advanced solution. We can expect Single RAN networks to become even easier to install and maintain, cheaper, higher capacity, secure and simpler to operate and to enable smooth evolution to new technologies like HSPA+ and LTE-A which provide further opportunities for operator growth and true business control.
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GSM
Abbreviations 3GPP AAS ANR ARPU ATM BSC BTS CAPEX CPRI FD-MIMO GSM HSPA IP IPsec iSON LTE LTE-A MCPA MIMO MOCN MORAN O&M OBSAI OFDM OPEX PKI QoS RAN RAT RF RNC SCPA SON TDM HSPA
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Third Generation Partnership Project Active Antenna System Automated Neighbor Relations Average Revenue per User Asynchronous Transfer Mode Base Station Controller Base Transceiver Station Capital Expenditure Common Public Radio Interface Full Dimensional MIMO Global System for Mobile Communications High Speed Internet Protocol Internet Protocol Security Nokia Intelligent SON Long Term Evolution LTE Advanced Multi Carrier Power Amplifier Mulitple-Input, Multiple-Output Multi Operator Core Networks Multi Operator RAN Operations and Management Open Base Station Architecture Initiative Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing Operational Expenditure Public Key Infrastructure Quality of Service Radio Access Network Radio Access Technology Radio Frequency Radio Network Controller Single Carrier Power Amplifier Self Organizing Networks Time Division Multiplexing Wideband Code Division Multiple Access
Nokia is a registered trademark of Nokia Corporation. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks or trade names of their respective owners. Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy P.O. Box 1 FI-02022 Finland Visiting address: Karaportti 3, ESPOO, Finland Switchboard +358 71 400 4000 Product code C401-01007-WP-201406-1-EN © Nokia Solutions and Networks 2014
