ETSI publishes Report on 5G Wireless Backhaul/X-Haul

Using Microwave and Millimetre-wave for 5G

ETSI’s millimetre Wave Transmission Industry Specification Group (mWT ISG) has just released a new Report, ETSI GR mWT 012, which addresses the prominent 5G backhaul/X-Haul scenarios. It also presents how current microwave and millimetre wave transmission technologies, as well as their foreseen evolution in the pertinent areas of innovation, will satisfy upcoming 5G access requirements. The Report points out the importance of the appropriate regulation and licensing to ease 5G wireless backhaul/X-Haul deployments.

Mobile communication technology is evolving rapidly towards its 5G deployment phase, which aims to develop new business opportunities related to enhanced Mobile Broadband, Ultra-Reliable and Low Latency Communications and massive Machine-Type Communications. New radio access network architecture trends, aiming at higher network efficiency and improved service delivery, are also discussed within the scope of 5G. In parallel, it is expected that 5G deployments will be characterized by increased network density, mainly driven by small cell implementation. As with the previous 3GPP generations, it is predicted that service providers will start with an early stage of deployment and they will progressively move towards long-term maturity, hence mobile access sites are going to be gradually upgraded to 5G configurations that will appear in different flavours and iterations of standards.

It is of paramount importance to prepare the ground for the new backhaul/X-Haul architecture for 5G. To this end, various developments in the domains of technology, regulation and standardization are in progress. In reality, the microwave and millimetre wave transmission technologies satisfy the 5G "Early Stage" requirements and under a forward-looking view, innovations on wireless backhaul/X-haul technologies will continue towards 5G, focusing on capacity, latency, spectral efficiency, higher transmission distances, synchronization and networking functionalities, so as to address the 5G "Mature Stage" requirements that will appear later.

GR mWT 012 shows that microwave and millimetre wave transmission technologies are going to continue to play a pivotal role in the 5G era as they will be fundamental pillars of service providers' network development strategy to address the future radio access demands. This view is also strengthened due to the inherent benefits of wireless backhaul/X-Haul with regard to performance, ease of deployment, fast time-to-market and cost efficiency.

Source: ETSI media announcement