Power saving impact of distributed unit aggregation in switched radio over fiber mobile fronthaul network

Abstract

For the faster and higher capacity communication using higher frequencies in Beyond 5G era, we have proposed the switched analog radio over fiber (Switched-RoF) system, in which optical switches are inserted between antennas and Central units (CUs)/ Distributed units (DUs), in order to efficiently use and provide additional features to a large number of small optically powered antennas using the power over fiber technology with the hollow core fiber. One of the features of Switched-RoF is DU aggregation, which reduces system power consumption by optical path switching. This paper presents analytical results of the effectiveness of Switched-RoF in terms of power consumption and call blocking rate based on two different user equipment distribution scenarios.