O-RAN 5G白盒化小基站硬件架构的研究

Research on Hardware Architecture of O-RAN 5G White Box Small Cell Base Station

O-RAN(开放无线接入网)联盟正在大力推动5G无线接入网进一步开放,打破传统封闭的无线接入网的构架,降低RAN的部署成本,提升RAN的敏捷性,加速网络创新,以利于5G技术在更广阔的社会范围内得到广泛应用。RAN设备的白盒化是达成这一目标的核心与关键之一。小基站由于其自身覆盖范围小、适合高密度部署、部署场景灵活等特点,成了RAN硬件白盒化的先锋。探究白盒化小基站对5G协议RAN功能的切分与网络部署方法以及可能的架构选项,研究一体式以及分离式白盒化小基站4种不同选项及各自不同的内部硬件架构,分析小基站硬件白盒化可能的发展路径与五个可能的发展阶段。

O-RAN(open wireless access network)alliance is vigorously promoting the further opening of the 5G wireless access network,breaking the traditional closed wireless access network architecture,reducing the deployment cost of RAN,improving the agility of RAN,accelerating network innovation,and facilitating the widespread application of 5G technology in a broader social scope.The white-boxing of RAN equipment is one of the cores and key to achieving this goal.Small cell base stations have become the pioneer of RAN hardware white-boxing due to their small coverage,suitable for high-density deployment,and flexible deployment scenarios.The white-box small cell base station’s segmentation of 5G protocol RAN functions and network deployment methods as well as possible architecture options are explored,then 4 different options of integrated and separate white-box small cell base stations and their different internal hardware architectures discussed,and finally,the possible development path and 5 possible development stages of hardware white-boxization of small cell base stations analyzed.