High-Throughput and Low-Latency 60GHz small-cell network architectures over Radio-over-Fiber technologies

Future broadband access networks in the 5G framework will need to be bilateral, exploiting both optical and wireless technologies. This paper deals with new approaches and synergies on radio-over-fiber (RoF) technologies and how those can be leveraged to seamlessly converge wireless technology for agility and mobility with passive optical networks (PON)-based backhauling. The proposed convergence paradigm is based upon a holistic network architecture mixing mm-wave wireless access with photonic integration, dynamic capacity allocation and network coding schemes to enable high bandwidth and low-latency fixed and 60GHz wireless personal area communications for gigabit rate per user, proposing and deploying on top a Medium-Transparent MAC (MT-MAC) protocol as a low-latency bandwidth allocation mechanism. We have evaluated alternative network topologies between the central office (CO) and the access point module (APM) for data rates up to 2.5 Gb/s and SC frequencies up to 60 GHz. Optical network coding is demonstrated for SCM-based signaling to enhance bandwidth utilization and facilitate optical-wireless convergence in 5G applications, reporting medium-transparent network coding directly at the physical layer between end-users communicating over a RoF infrastructure. Towards equipping the physical layer with the appropriate agility to support MT-MAC protocols, a monolithic InP-based Remote Antenna Unit optoelectronic PIC interface is shown that ensures control over the optical resource allocation assisting at the same time broadband wireless service. Finally, the MT-MAC protocol is analysed and simulation and analytical theoretical results are presented that are found to be in good agreement confirming latency values lower than 1msec for small-to mid-load conditions.