As CSPs look to increase network flexibility and scalability without sacrificing efficiency in new disaggregated radio systems, Cloud RAN will play a key role
With 5G networks operating at scale, communications service providers (CSPs) stand ready to embark on the next evolution of cellular. The move toward running network workloads in public/private hybrid cloud environments across distributed infrastructure represents a paradigm shift for technology strategy, business model and organizational workflow. This move to cloud-native comes in tandem with the disaggregation of radio access network (RAN) hardware and software in an effort to enable architectural flexibility, increasingly automated network optimizations and new monetization opportunities. Sitting at the intersection of these mega trends is Cloud RAN.
With the move to Cloud RAN, there are three primary considerations CSPs should keep in mind:
- The RAN is the user’s touchpoint with the network, so a highly performant RAN is necessary for service differentiation and attendant monetization opportunities.
- Given the existing expertise and scale of global cloud providers, it’s prudent to leverage those competencies and layer in telco domain expertise to make the highest and best use of the investment.
- Choice of acceleration technology has a significant impact on energy efficiency, design flexibility, and ecosystem support, as well as how well CSPs can capture new revenue streams with the best performance and lowest TCO.
“The ultimate benefit of Cloud RAN is the flexibility and scalability it provides to MNOs,” according to a team of experts from Ericsson writing in a paper titled “Cloud RAN Acceleration Technology.” “The wide array of deployment options allows operators to choose hardware and infrastructure that best suit their needs, budget, and business model. Choosing the right architecture and configuration of hardware and acceleration can help MNOs reap the full benefits of Cloud RAN.”
There’s an ongoing and healthy debate in the industry around how to best provide compute power for radio workloads as MNOs increasingly deploy disaggregated, open RAN wherein baseband functionality is split between central, distributed and even radio units. Layer 1 and 2 processing takes up around 90% of processing demand. With look-aside acceleration, also called Selected Function Acceleration, specific RAN functions—forward error correction, for instance—are processed on more tightly integrated accelerators.. Compare this to inline acceleration which takes the entire data flow and pushes it through an auxiliary PCIe board. Based on current operator investments, look-aside acceleration seems to be the current preference with silicon roadmaps pointing to integration of the accelerator(s) into the system on chip.
Given the realities of compute demand needed for modern 5G networks, the latency sensitivity of Layer 1 and 2 functions, and the ecosystem support in place for look-aside, the market trajectory seems relatively clear. “Considering the needs for energy efficiency, design flexibility, portability, and support for an ecosystem of Cloud RAN suppliers on common cloud infrastructure, Selected Function Hardware Acceleration currently offers the best option to build high-performing Cloud RAN networks,” Ericsson’s Gabriel Foglander and Frank Li wrote in a blog post.
As openness proliferates across telco networking domains, a strong approach to ecosystem development becomes increasingly important. In the context of supporting MNOs (and their customers) on the path to cloud-native, Ericsson has wide-ranging partnerships with major cloud providers; these collaborations cover everything from private 5G and BSS modernization to AI/ML-based automation and, of course, Cloud RAN infrastructure.
And to the energy efficiency point, MNOs face a complex challenge in keeping up with the staggering growth in demand for network-enabled services while meeting their own net-zero targets. In the context of a distributed RAN with a high number of nodes, any optimization of energy consumption and fostering system-level energy efficiency is important. But the bigger picture involves creating a context-aware, dynamic RAN that is ready to scale up for peak load and scale down to conserve precious resources.
As MNOs endeavor to rebuild networks following a cloud-native technological and operating model, the long-term strategy has to focus on delivering performance at scale while bringing to life the automation capabilities that will support sustainable business growth. With Ericsson playing an instrumental role in forming, fostering and furthering the ecosystem that’s necessary for Cloud RAN to thrive, the company is ideally positioned to help customers maximize the benefits cloudification will have on 5G and beyond.
Summary
Ericsson’s focus has been, and will continue to be, performance because this is what matters most for our customers and the users of their networks. Ericsson is committed to drive Cloud RAN development at scale, and to fully utilize the potential and leverage the benefits of Cloud RAN. The nature of Cloud RAN necessitates a broader ecosystem approach if rollouts at scale are to be successful in the long term, and partnerships and standard collaborations spur development, ultimately maximizing the benefits as cloudification gets introduced from 5G towards and onwards.
More insights on Ericsson Cloud RAN here.
