Requirements and viewpoints for

backhaul synchronization

draft-zhou-tictoc-ran-sync-req-00.txt

Angela Zhou, Xiaodong Duan

China Mobile
 Outline
• Synchronization Requirements

• Mobile backhaul network

• Concerns on synchronization
 Synchronization in 2G/GSM
• Current 2G/GSM Networks • Future 2G/GSM Networks
MS BSC
Ref. BTS Circuit
MS clock Emulation

E1 E1 E1 E1 Ref.
SDH PSN clock
MS
BTS BSC FE GE
IP BSC
IP BTS

• Sync Requirements in • Sync Requirements in future

current 2G/GSM Networks
– SDH transport network need
frequency sync: +/- 50ppm
– Base stations need frequency sync:
+/- 0.05ppm
– Reference clock is distributed via an
explicit transport at the physical layer:
PDH/SDH
2G/GSM Networks
– Packet switching network do not need strict
synchronization
– Base stations need frequency sync: +/- 0.05ppm
– For base stations, Reference clock is distributed via
PSN, need physical synchronization support (e.g.
Sync Ethernet) or packet-based synchronization (e.g.
1588).
Note: Previous SDH transport network maybe still exist
for traditional base stations, sync requirement is the
same as before.
 Synchronization in 3G/TD-SCDMA
• Current trail 3G/TD-SCDMA • Future 3G/TD-SCDMA
Networks Networks
Ref.
clock
GE
NodeB PSN
ATM
NodeB SDH RNC
FE
RNC
ATM NodeB
NodeB

• Sync Requirement in current • Sync Requirement in future

3G/TD-SCDMA Networks
– SDH transport network need frequency
sync: +/- 50ppm
– For transport network, Reference clock is
distributed via an explicit transport at the
physical layer: PDH/SDH
– Base stations need frequency sync: +/-
0.05ppm, and phase sync: +/- 3us
– For base stations, reference clock is
distributed via GPS
3G/TD-SCDMA Networks
– Packet switching network do not need
strict synchronization
– Base stations need frequency sync:
+/- 0.05ppm, and phase sync: +/- 3us
– For base stations, reference clock is
distributed via PSN, need physical
synchronization support (e.g. Sync
Ethernet) for frequency sync or
packet-based synchronization (e.g.
1588) for time/phase sync.
 Synchronization in 4G/TDD-LTE/FDD-LTE
• Possible synchronization requirements in LTE
– Synchronization requirements in ALL-IP network
– Synchronization requirements in distributing Base Station
(mesh topology among base stations)
– Synchronization requirements in distributing BBU & RRU
– Synchronization requirements in radio interfaces

Note: synchronization requirement in LTE is under discussion.

eNB eNB
eNB Ref.
clock

PSN
AGW
eNB
eNB
eNB

eNB
 Synchronization in different parts
• Requirements schematic diagram
Base
UE
station
Base
Ref.
station
Clock
controller
Radio Node Network SYNC
Interface SYNC
UE SYNC

Base
station

• Synchronization requirements in different positions

Layer Sub Items Frequency Accuracy Phase Accuracy
Network Sync E1 50ppm -
STM-N 4.6ppm -
PTN Not so strict -
Node Sync Controller-Base 50ppb(If base station pick up 3us(if base station pick up time
station time from base station controller) from base station controller)
Inter-Base station 50ppb(If base station pick up 3us(If base station pick up time
time from other base station) from other base station)
Radio interface GSM 50ppb -
WCDMA 50ppb -
TD-SCDMA 50ppb 3us
TDD LTE 50ppb TBD
FDD LTE 50ppb -
 Outline
• Synchronization Requirements

• Mobile backhaul network

• Concerns on synchronization
 Mobile backhaul
• Mobile backhaul could be based on
– Carrier Ethernet (e.g. 802.1ad, PBB-TE)
– IP/MPLS (e.g. PW, VPLS, L3VPN ,IP routing)
– T-MPLS
– Others

• Each transport technique can fit certain scenario

respectively, and they could be used in different network
layers (access/aggregation/core).
 Mobile backhaul
• Mobile backhaul network
Base
Access Aggr station Core
Base
station controller
Base
802.1ad station
IP/MPLS
Base PBT
core controller
station
PON
DLS
Base
station

Base
Base station
station controller
Base
TMPLS station
IP/MPLS
Base TMPLS core controller
station
TMPLS

Base
station
Base controller
station

MPLS Access Base

IP/MPLS station
Base MPLS AGG core controller
station VLL/VPLS
802.1ad
 SON & Self-backhauling
Ref.
Clock

• Self Organization Network

– Some BSs are
AGW 2 AGW 1
configured only by it’s
mother BS for both sync
and radio resource

• Self-backhauling
New BS
Join
– Using in-band connection
between BSs for
backhaul
 Outline
• Synchronization Requirements

• Mobile backhaul network

• Concerns on synchronization
 Concerns & Summary
• The requirements for RAN is clear and urgent
– Radio Access Network is on the early stage of moving to IP transport
– Using GPS will affect the flexible deployment of BS, we really need a new
synchronization technology to substitute GPS, epically though a simple Ethernet
port
– How to distribute synchronization through packet based network? Can 1588
meet our requirements? Telecom profiles of 1588 should be standardized:
• network scale/ network load/ local clock accuracy
• Security
– The synchronization methods in next generation mobile network (LTE) and
MESH/SON network should be paid more attention.

• At the same time, it is complex and more technologies in backhaul

– How to extend IEEE1588 or other synchronization technology so that it can be
used smoothly in PBN and complex backhaul.
– Features needed for Backhaul nodes to support 1588 for high accuracy
– Different layers shall collaborate to meet the sync requirements form end to end,
so what kind of mechanisms/protocols are need between different layer and
technologies in backhaul?
 Thank you&
Any questions?