I n t e r n a t i o n a l T e l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n U n i o n

ITU-T G.8300
TELECOMMUNICATION (05/2020)
STANDARDIZATION SECTOR
OF ITU

SERIES G: TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS AND MEDIA,

DIGITAL SYSTEMS AND NETWORKS
Packet over Transport aspects – Mobile network transport
aspects

Characteristics of transport networks to support

IMT-2020/5G

Recommendation ITU-T G.8300

 ITU-T G-SERIES RECOMMENDATIONS
TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS AND MEDIA, DIGITAL SYSTEMS AND NETWORKS

INTERNATIONAL TELEPHONE CONNECTIONS AND CIRCUITS G.100–G.199

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS COMMON TO ALL ANALOGUE CARRIER- G.200–G.299
TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS
INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS OF INTERNATIONAL CARRIER TELEPHONE G.300–G.399
SYSTEMS ON METALLIC LINES
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF INTERNATIONAL CARRIER TELEPHONE SYSTEMS G.400–G.449
ON RADIO-RELAY OR SATELLITE LINKS AND INTERCONNECTION WITH METALLIC
LINES
COORDINATION OF RADIOTELEPHONY AND LINE TELEPHONY G.450–G.499
TRANSMISSION MEDIA AND OPTICAL SYSTEMS CHARACTERISTICS G.600–G.699
DIGITAL TERMINAL EQUIPMENTS G.700–G.799
DIGITAL NETWORKS G.800–G.899
DIGITAL SECTIONS AND DIGITAL LINE SYSTEM G.900–G.999
MULTIMEDIA QUALITY OF SERVICE AND PERFORMANCE – GENERIC AND USER- G.1000–G.1999
RELATED ASPECTS
TRANSMISSION MEDIA CHARACTERISTICS G.6000–G.6999
DATA OVER TRANSPORT – GENERIC ASPECTS G.7000–G.7999
PACKET OVER TRANSPORT ASPECTS G.8000–G.8999
Ethernet over Transport aspects G.8000–G.8099
MPLS over Transport aspects G.8100–G.8199
Synchronization, quality and availability targets G.8200–G.8299
Mobile network transport aspects G.8300–G.8399
Service Management G.8600–G.8699
ACCESS NETWORKS G.9000–G.9999

For further details, please refer to the list of ITU-T Recommendations.

Recommendation ITU-T G.8300

Characteristics of transport networks to support IMT-2020/5G

Summary
Recommendation ITU-T G.8300 defines the requirements for the layer one transport network
support for the 5G fronthaul, midhaul and backhaul networks as defined in this Recommendation.

History
Edition Recommendation Approval Study Group Unique ID*
1.0 ITU-T G.8300 2020-05-22 15 11.1002/1000/14217

Keywords
Transport network, 5G.

* To access the Recommendation, type the URL http://handle.itu.int/ in the address field of your web
browser, followed by the Recommendation's unique ID. For example, http://handle.itu.int/11.1002/1000/11
830-en.

Rec. ITU-T G.8300 (05/2020) i

 FOREWORD
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations specialized agency in the field of
telecommunications, information and communication technologies (ICTs). The ITU Telecommunication
Standardization Sector (ITU-T) is a permanent organ of ITU. ITU-T is responsible for studying technical,
operating and tariff questions and issuing Recommendations on them with a view to standardizing
telecommunications on a worldwide basis.
The World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA), which meets every four years,
establishes the topics for study by the ITU-T study groups which, in turn, produce Recommendations on
these topics.
The approval of ITU-T Recommendations is covered by the procedure laid down in WTSA Resolution 1.
In some areas of information technology which fall within ITU-T's purview, the necessary standards are
prepared on a collaborative basis with ISO and IEC.

NOTE
In this Recommendation, the expression "Administration" is used for conciseness to indicate both a
telecommunication administration and a recognized operating agency.
Compliance with this Recommendation is voluntary. However, the Recommendation may contain certain
mandatory provisions (to ensure, e.g., interoperability or applicability) and compliance with the
Recommendation is achieved when all of these mandatory provisions are met. The words "shall" or some
other obligatory language such as "must" and the negative equivalents are used to express requirements. The
use of such words does not suggest that compliance with the Recommendation is required of any party.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

ITU draws attention to the possibility that the practice or implementation of this Recommendation may
involve the use of a claimed Intellectual Property Right. ITU takes no position concerning the evidence,
validity or applicability of claimed Intellectual Property Rights, whether asserted by ITU members or others
outside of the Recommendation development process.
As of the date of approval of this Recommendation, ITU had not received notice of intellectual property,
protected by patents, which may be required to implement this Recommendation. However, implementers
are cautioned that this may not represent the latest information and are therefore strongly urged to consult the
TSB patent database at http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/ipr/.

© ITU 2020
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, by any means whatsoever, without the
prior written permission of ITU.

ii Rec. ITU-T G.8300 (05/2020)

 Table of Contents
Page
1 Scope ............................................................................................................................ 1
2 References..................................................................................................................... 1
3 Definitions .................................................................................................................... 1
3.1 Terms defined elsewhere ................................................................................ 1
3.2 Terms defined in this Recommendation ......................................................... 1
4 Abbreviations and acronyms ........................................................................................ 2
5 Conventions .................................................................................................................. 3
6 Reference transport network architecture for support of 5G mobile networks ............ 3
7 Transport network OAM requirements ........................................................................ 5
7.1 Path layer OAM requirements ........................................................................ 5
7.2 Section layer OAM requirements ................................................................... 6
8 Considerations related to 5G network slicing ............................................................... 6
9 Frequency and time synchronization in the transport network ..................................... 7
9.1 Synchronization requirement.......................................................................... 7
9.2 Synchronization solution for transport network ............................................. 7
10 Survivability techniques in transport networks to support 5G ..................................... 8
Appendix I – End-to-end service latency in 5G networks ....................................................... 9
Bibliography............................................................................................................................. 10

Rec. ITU-T G.8300 (05/2020) iii

Recommendation ITU-T G.8300

Characteristics of transport networks to support IMT-2020/5G

1 Scope
This Recommendation documents the requirements for the layer one transport network for 5G,
including hard isolation between aggregated digital clients. The digital clients are the digital streams
to/from the 5G entities (e.g., RU, DU, CU, 5GC/NGC) and other digital clients carried in the
access, aggregation and core transport networks. The requirements and characteristics are
documented for each of the fronthaul, midhaul and backhaul networks as defined in this
Recommendation.
The factors addressed include:
• Relationship of 5G network architecture to transport network architecture
• Operations, administration, and maintenance (OAM) requirements
• Timing performance and time/synchronization distribution architecture
• Survivability mechanisms

2 References
The following ITU-T Recommendations and other references contain provisions which, through
reference in this text, constitute provisions of this Recommendation. At the time of publication, the
editions indicated were valid. All Recommendations and other references are subject to revision;
users of this Recommendation are therefore encouraged to investigate the possibility of applying the
most recent edition of the Recommendations and other references listed below. A list of the
currently valid ITU-T Recommendations is regularly published. The reference to a document within
this Recommendation does not give it, as a stand-alone document, the status of a Recommendation.
[ITU-T G.805] Recommendation ITU-T G.805 (2000), Generic functional architecture of
transport networks.
[ITU-T G.8271] Recommendation ITU-T G.8271/Y.1366 (2020), Time and phase
synchronization aspects of telecommunication networks.
[ITU-T G.8271.1] Recommendation ITU-T G.8271.1/Y.1366.1 (2020), Network limits for time
synchronization in packet networks with full timing support from the network.
[ITU-T G.8273.2] Recommendation ITU-T G.8273.2/Y.1368.2 (2019), Timing characteristics of
telecom boundary clocks and telecom time slave clocks.
[ITU-T G.8275] Recommendation ITU-T G.8275/Y.1369 (2017), Architecture and
requirements for packet-based time and phase distribution.
[ITU-T G.8275.1] Recommendation ITU-T G.8275.1/Y.1369.1 (2020), Precision time protocol
telecom profile for phase/time synchronization with full timing support from
the network.

3 Definitions

3.1 Terms defined elsewhere

None.

3.2 Terms defined in this Recommendation

None.

Rec. ITU-T G.8300 (05/2020) 1

4 Abbreviations and acronyms
This Recommendation uses the following abbreviations and acronyms:
5GC 5G Core
BS Base Station
CPRI Common Public Radio Interface
CN Core Network
C-RAN Cloud Radio Access Network
CU Centralized Unit
D-RAN Distributed Radio Access Network
DU Distributed Unit
eCPRI enhanced Common Public Radio Interface
eMBB enhanced Mobile Broadband
eOEC enhanced OTN Equipment Clock
ePRC enhanced Primary Reference Clock
ePRTC enhanced Primary Reference Time Clock
eSEC enhanced Synchronous Equipment Clock
gNB Next generation NodeB
HLS High-Layer Split
HRM Hypothetical Reference Model
MAC Media Access Control layer
MBB Mobile Broadband
mCDN mobile Content Delivery Network
MEC Multi-access Edge Computing
mMTC massive Machine-Type Communication
OAM Operations, Administration, and Maintenance
OEC OTN Equipment Clock
OSS Operations Support System
OTN Optical Transport Network
PDCP Packet Data Convergence Protocol
PHY Physical layer
PRC Primary Reference Clock
PRTC Primary Reference Time Clock
PTP Precision Time Protocol
RAN Radio Access Network
RBU Radio Baseband Unit
RRU Remote Radio Unit
RU Radio Unit

2 Rec. ITU-T G.8300 (05/2020)

SEC Synchronous Equipment Clock
SLA Service Level Agreement
T-BC Telecom Boundary Clock
T-TC Telecom Transparent Clock
TCM Tandem Connection Monitoring
UE User Equipment
URLLC Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communication
VN Virtual Network

5 Conventions
This Recommendation uses the following conventions:
F1 Logical interface between the CU and DU
NG Logical interface between the 5GC and gNB
Xn (Logical) Interfaces internal to the RAN ("Xn" specifically refers to one connected
between two gNB nodes)

6 Reference transport network architecture for support of 5G mobile networks

The architecture of the transport network is often described in terms of metro access, metro
aggregation, metro core, and backbone domains. When considering transport for 5G, an alternative
description based on 5G applications is useful in understanding the requirements.
The 5G RAN architecture is described in [b-3GPP TS 38.401].
For purposes of describing the transport network for 5G, the 5G network comprises remote radio
unit (RRU), distributed unit (DU), centralized unit (CU), and core network. The terms fronthaul,
midhaul, and backhaul are used in this Recommendation when describing the 5G transport network
support for the interfaces between these nodes.
A fronthaul transport network supports the low-layer functional split point of 3GPP NG-RAN (e.g.,
Option 6 for MAC/PHY split or Option 7 for intra PHY split) [b-3GPP TR 38.801].
A midhaul transport network supports 3GPP NG-RAN F1 interface (between a gNB-CU and a
gNB-DU), or the Xn interface that provides interconnection between different NG-RAN nodes
(gNB).
A backhaul transport network supports the 3GPP NG interface (between the 5GC and the NG-
RAN) or the Xn interface that provides interconnection between different NG-RAN nodes (gNB)
[b-3GPP TS 38.401].
The deployment of IMT2020/5G RAN can be characterized based on the location of the DU and
CU, as illustrated in Figure 6-1. Several observations can be made about the transport network
based on this figure:
– A backhaul network always exists to connect the CUs to the core network.
– When DU and RU are integrated, there is no fronthaul network.
– When the DU and CU are integrated, there is no midhaul network.
Although not shown in Figure 6-1, the Xn interface between CU nodes would transit either a
midhaul or backhaul network.

Rec. ITU-T G.8300 (05/2020) 3

 Figure 6-1 – Example overview of a 5G transport network

Table 6-1 provides a mapping of terminology used to describe the 5G transport network to the
domains of the transport network.

Table 6-1 – Terminology mapping

3GPP logical Network name in Interface description Transport network
interface or this domains
CPRI Name Recommendation
CPRI/eCPRI Fronthaul Interface between RRU and DU Metro access
F1 Midhaul Logical interface between the CU and Metro- access or metro
DU aggregation
NG Backhaul Logical interface between the gNB Metro access, metro
(CU) and the 5GC aggregation, metro
core, or backbone
Xn Midhaul or Logical interface between gNB nodes Metro access, metro
Backhaul (between the packet data convergence aggregation, metro
protocol (PDCP) function of each) core, or backbone

Several examples of the mapping described in Table 6-1 are illustrated in Figure 6-2.

4 Rec. ITU-T G.8300 (05/2020)

 Figure 6-2 – Examples of mapping transport network domains to 5G network names

Beyond the transport plane shown in Figure 6-2, the transport network architecture also includes
management and synchronization planes. Together these components enable support for the
applications of 5G, multi-access Edge computing (MEC), and mobile content delivery network
(mCDN) network interconnection as well as private line services. To facilitate service level
agreement (SLA) guarantees, virtual network resource capabilities are supported to enable
differentiated network slicing, which requires coordinated management and control of the 5G core
network, transport network, and radio access network (RAN). Figure 6-3 illustrates this broader
view of the transport network.

Figure 6-3 – Overview of 5G transport network

7 Transport network OAM requirements

The 5G transport network consists of both path and section layers, each having its own OAM.

7.1 Path layer OAM requirements

The transport network path layer OAM functions shall meet the following basic requirements:

Rec. ITU-T G.8300 (05/2020) 5

1) Each path layer shall support its own suitable OAM function set.
2) Each path OAM function shall support on demand enabling or disabling commands. A
disabled OAM function shall release resources that it occupied during the enabled period.
3) OAM information is inserted or extracted at the path channel end point. Both inserting and
extracting operations shall have a minimum impact on latency and system complexity.
Support for non-intrusive monitoring of path OAM is optional.
Support for tandem connection monitoring (TCM) and a path layer management communications
channel is for further study
The path OAM functions shall support the following:
a) Continuity supervision
b) Connectivity supervision
c) Error performance monitoring
d) Remote defect and error reporting
e) Delay measurement (in-service and out-of-service)
f) Protection communications channel
g) Client signal fail indication
Each type of OAM function is activated by enable and disable commands. Some OAM information
may be sent and received periodically. The periodicity could be made configurable and on -demand.
In any case, the periodicity must be suitable to the type of OAM. All types of OAM functions are
independent to each other.
7.1.1 Delay measurement
Both in-service and out-of-service delay measurements may be required, depending on the service.
Some services may need only an out of service measurement prior to activating the service, while
others may require more frequent monitoring of delay to ensure performance requirements are
being satisfied.
Both one-way and two-way delay measurements are needed.
Appendix I includes additional information regarding end-to-end latency in 5G networks.

7.2 Section layer OAM requirements

The section layer OAM functions can provide the performance supervision and management, and
should include the following functions:
a） Connectivity supervision, monitoring the integrity of the routing of connectivity of a
connection between source and sink terminations.
b） Maintenance information, including forward and backward defect indications and backward
error reporting.
c） Connection quality supervision, monitoring the performance of a connection.
d） Management communications channel.
e） Server signal fail indication.

8 Considerations related to 5G network slicing

The transport network is, in general, a multi-service network and, in most cases, a common
transport network infrastructure will be shared between 5G services and other types of services. It is
necessary to provide isolation between each of these services. From a management perspective, the

6 Rec. ITU-T G.8300 (05/2020)

services are supported by virtual networks (VNs). The forwarding plane must ensure that the traffic
from one VN is not (accidentally) delivered to a different VN. It is also necessary for the
forwarding plane to provide isolation that limits the interaction between the traffic in different VNs.

9 Frequency and time synchronization in the transport network

In the 5G transport network, frequency and phase/time synchronization are needed to support
requirements at the air interface of a mobile system. This clause describes 5G synchronization
requirements and defines the synchronization solution for the transport network.

9.1 Synchronization requirement

Requirements for the frequency offset at the air interface of 5G RRUs are described in
[b-3GPP TS 38.104].
The relevant phase/time synchronization requirements are listed in Tables II.1 and II.2 of
[ITU-T G.8271].

9.2 Synchronization solution for transport network

For meeting frequency and phase/time synchronization requirements, the full timing support
solution, which is defined in [ITU-T G.8275], should be used in the transport network. This solution
requires that every node between the clock server and the end application node should support the
synchronous equipment clock or enhanced synchronous equipment clock SEC/eSEC and the
telecom boundary clock (T-BC) or telecom transparent clock (T-TC) [ITU-T G.8271.1] clock.
Figure 9-1 is a generic synchronization topology for the transport network and represents one
example of how such a network could be constructed.

Figure 9-1 – Example of synchronization transport network topology

Generally, the frequency reference master primary reference clock PRC/ePRC is deployed in the
core network, and the phase/time master primary reference time clock or enhanced primary
reference time clock PRTC/ePRTC is deployed in the access, aggregation, or core network. The

Rec. ITU-T G.8300 (05/2020) 7

deployment position is limited by the number of hops from the clock server to the RRU, which is
described in the hypothetical reference models (HRMs) of [ITU-T G.8271.1].
For the frequency synchronization solution, the transport nodes between the PRC/ePRC and RRU
shall support the appropriate SEC or eSEC physical layer clock.
For the phase/time synchronization solution, the transport nodes between the PRTC/ePRTC and
RRU shall support the T-BC precision time protocol (PTP) layer clock. The clock specification is
[ITU-T G.8273.2] and the network limit is defined in [ITU-T G.8271.1], and the PTP full timing
support profile is [ITU-T G.8275.1.
NOTE – Optical layer nodes without optical protection/restoration are not required to support the OTN
equipment clock (OEC), enhanced OTN equipment clock (eOEC) or T-BC. This is because these nodes do
not affect the accuracy of the transport synchronization network.

10 Survivability techniques in transport networks to support 5G

General characteristics of transport protection mechanisms are described in the ITU-T G.808.x
series of Recommendations.
Protection or restoration mechanisms should be used in the 5G transport network as necessary to
meet the requirements of the services being carried over the 5G network. In order to allow for
deployment of survivability mechanisms in multiple layers, any new protection or restoration
mechanisms should support the use of hold-off timers.

8 Rec. ITU-T G.8300 (05/2020)

 Appendix I

End-to-end service latency in 5G networks

(This appendix does not form an integral part of this Recommendation.)

End-to-end service latency is an important characteristic of 5G networks. Table I.1 summarizes

requirements for end-to-end latency for some types of services based on [b-3GPP TR 38.913].

Table I.1 – End to end latency requirements for selected service types

Service type Latency requirement

eMBB User plane (UE- CU/MEC) 4 ms
Control plane (UE-CN) 10 ms
URLLC User plane (UE-CU/MEC) 0.5 ms~1 ms
Control plane (UE-CN) 10 ms

Figure I.1 illustrates an example of how the end-to-end latency budget could be allocated to
different nodes and transport networks within the 5G architecture.

Figure I.1 – Example allocation of end-to-end latency

Rec. ITU-T G.8300 (05/2020) 9

 Bibliography

[b-3GPP TR 38.801] 3GPP TR 38.801 (2017), Technical Specification Group Radio Access
Network; Study on new radio access technology: Radio access
architecture and interfaces, March.
[b-3GPP TR 38.913] 3GPP TR 38.913, Study on Scenarios and Requirements for Next
Generation Access Technologies.
[b-3GPP TS 38.104] 3GPP TS 38.104, V16.2.0 (2019-12), NR, Base Station (BS) radio
transmission and reception.
[b-3GPP TS 38.401] 3GPP TS 38.401, V15.1.0 (2018-03), NG-RAN; Architecture description
(Release 15).
[b-eCPRI] eCPRI Specification V1.0 (2017), Common Public Radio Interface: eCPRI
Interface Specification, August.

10 Rec. ITU-T G.8300 (05/2020)

 SERIES OF ITU-T RECOMMENDATIONS

Series A Organization of the work of ITU-T

Series D Tariff and accounting principles and international telecommunication/ICT economic and policy
issues

Series E Overall network operation, telephone service, service operation and human factors

Series F Non-telephone telecommunication services

Series G Transmission systems and media, digital systems and networks

Series H Audiovisual and multimedia systems

Series I Integrated services digital network

Series J Cable networks and transmission of television, sound programme and other multimedia signals

Series K Protection against interference

Series L Environment and ICTs, climate change, e-waste, energy efficiency; construction, installation
and protection of cables and other elements of outside plant

Series M Telecommunication management, including TMN and network maintenance

Series N Maintenance: international sound programme and television transmission circuits

Series O Specifications of measuring equipment

Series P Telephone transmission quality, telephone installations, local line networks

Series Q Switching and signalling, and associated measurements and tests

Series R Telegraph transmission

Series S Telegraph services terminal equipment

Series T Terminals for telematic services

Series U Telegraph switching

Series V Data communication over the telephone network

Series X Data networks, open system communications and security

Series Y Global information infrastructure, Internet protocol aspects, next-generation networks, Internet
of Things and smart cities

Series Z Languages and general software aspects for telecommunication systems

Printed in Switzerland
Geneva, 2020