AirScale BTS - 5G, 5G20B, Issue 06

AirScale BTS - 5G Product

Description

DN260622382
Issue 02
Approval Date 2020-11-25
Nokia condential
AirScale BTS - 5G Product Description

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AirScale BTS - 5G Product Description

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AirScale BTS - 5G Product Description

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Table of Contents

Summary of changes .................................................................................................................... 8

1 5G technology - an improvement or a (r)evolution? ............................................................... 9

2 What is AirScale BTS - 5G .......................................................................................................... 16

3 AirScale BTS - 5G E2E solution ................................................................................................. 20

4 Architecture of AirScale BTS - 5G ............................................................................................. 25

4.1 Supported RAUs .............................................................................................................. 28
4.2 Supported RUs ................................................................................................................. 30
4.3 Supported FHSs ............................................................................................................... 32

5 Transport in AirScale BTS - 5G ................................................................................................. 33

5.1 S1 and X2 interfaces ....................................................................................................... 34
5.2 Xn and NG interfaces ...................................................................................................... 36
5.3 CPRI and eCPRI interfaces .............................................................................................. 41

6 Synchronization in AirScale BTS - 5G ....................................................................................... 44

7 AirScale BTS - 5G multi-antenna technique ........................................................................... 46

7.1 Multi-antenna deployment cases ................................................................................. 49

8 Radio resource management in AirScale BTS - 5G ................................................................ 52

8.1 Supported RRM functions .............................................................................................. 53

9 AirScale BTS - 5G software upgrade and commissioning ..................................................... 57

10 AirScale BTS - 5G operability .................................................................................................. 59

11 Security in AirScale BTS - 5G .................................................................................................. 62

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List of Figures
Figure 1 5G use cases .................................................................................................................. 11
Figure 2 5G requirements ........................................................................................................... 12
Figure 3 AirScale BTS - 5G vs. AirScale Cloud BTS - 5G .......................................................... 16
Figure 4 NSA 3x deployment ...................................................................................................... 17
Figure 5 SA option 2 deployment .............................................................................................. 18
Figure 6 Overview of AirScale BTS - 5G software context ..................................................... 20
Figure 7 AirScale BTS - 5G NSA E2E solution overview .......................................................... 22
Figure 8 AirScale BTS - 5G SA E2E solution overview ............................................................. 23
Figure 9 Classical gNB logical and physical entities mapping ................................................ 26
Figure 10 RAU-RU connection possibilities .............................................................................. 26
Figure 11 AirScale BTS - 5G functional split ........................................................................... 27
Figure 12 AirScale 5G system module overview ..................................................................... 28
Figure 13 RAU-FHS-RU interface ............................................................................................... 32
Figure 14 S1 and X2 transport interfaces ................................................................................ 34
Figure 15 S1-C protocol stack ................................................................................................... 35
Figure 16 S1-U protocol stack ................................................................................................... 35
Figure 17 X2-C protocol stack ................................................................................................... 36
Figure 18 X2-U protocol stack ................................................................................................... 36
Figure 19 Xn and NG transport interfaces ............................................................................... 37
Figure 20 Xn-C protocol stack ................................................................................................... 38
Figure 21 Xn-U protocol stack ................................................................................................... 39
Figure 22 NG-C protocol stack ................................................................................................... 40
Figure 23 NG-U protocol stack .................................................................................................. 41
Figure 24 CPRI interface ............................................................................................................. 42
Figure 25 eCPRI interface ........................................................................................................... 43
Figure 26 Figure 27: UL and DL transmission in beamforming ............................................ 48
Figure 27 Figure 28: Channels coverage and sweeping in beamforming ............................ 48
Figure 28 Figure 29: Overview on packet scheduling process .............................................. 55
Figure 29 Figure 30: List of detailed steps needed for full gNB availability ....................... 57

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List of Tables
Table 1 AirScale BTS - 5G subracks and plug-in units ............................................................ 28
Table 2 Cell characteristics for MIMO above 6 GHz ................................................................ 50
Table 3 Cell characteristics for SU-MIMO below 6 GHz .......................................................... 51

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Summary of changes
A list of changes between document issues. You can navigate through the respective
changed topics.

Changes between issues 01 (2020-07-27, 5G20A) and 02 (2020-11-15, 5G20B)

AirScale BTS - 5G E2E solution

Antenna line device (ALD) has been added to the list of external elements that the
classical gNB interfaces with.
Figure: Overview of AirScale BTS - 5G software context has been updated with ALD.

Architecture of AirScale BTS - 5G

Figure: Classical gNB logical and physical entities mapping has been updated with an
optional element called fronthaul switch (FHS).
The RAU-RU connection section has been updated with:
a new Figure: RAU-RU connection possibilities figure.
information about the FHS, and the radio unit (RU) chaining functionality.

Supported RAUs

The information about the supported radio access unit (RAU) hardware has been
arranged in a form of a table.
ASIB plug-in unit has been added to the supported RAU hardware.
Information about an FCOB outdoor cabinet has been added.

Supported FHSs

This is a new chapter.

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AirScale BTS - 5G Product Description

1. 5G technology - an improvement or a (r)evolution?

5G is the next generation of mobile networks, which introduces enhanced mobile
broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), and massive
machine-type communication (mMTC), known also as Internet of Things (IoT).

One cannot resist the impression that improvements introduced by previous

telecommunication technologies were based more on what could be done better in
comparison to the latest technology than on use cases and possibilities. But it’s not
something unusual. In today’s world, different things are being developed just to improve
their predecessors, not always considering real user needs. Examples? A TV set with a higher
screen resolution, or a phone with a better camera. It’s high time in telecommunications to
go beyond and return to looking at end user needs.

What and why?

5G is the fifth generation of mobile networks, which provides a wide range of benefits and
opportunities by offering unprecedented and ubiquitous connectivity. While previous
generations of mobile telecommunications connected mainly people, 5G broadens its scope
and focuses on large-scale industrial automation. This technology is the answer to the
growth in the number of connected devices and the amount of transferred data. 5G is
designed to revolutionize modern society and enterprises. This aim is manifested in the
projected productivity, efficiency, and safety improvements.

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Maybe you wonder right now why we need 5G when there’s already well working 4G. Is 5G
necessary?

Yes, it is. Although 4G technology continues to advance, it doesn’t support the demands of
rapidly digitalizing industry. 5G changes the attitude. Its aim is to boost productivity, growth,
and value creation. With 5G, high throughput, ultra-low latency, and extreme reliability
become reality. Such concepts as faster, more accurate diagnoses for patients at remote
locations, real-time wireless surgeries, or ignite Industry 4.0 with growth in productivity,
flexibility, and staff safety, become not only possible, but most of all achievable.

5G use cases
There are three major categories of use cases made possible by 5G:

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Figure 1: 5G use cases

Extreme Mobile Broadband Group of use cases which require high data rates, high capacity, high
mobility, and enhanced connectivity.

Massive Machine-Type Group of use cases which require secure and reliable network with
Communication high capacity and low latency for communications at varying
frequency bands.

Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Group of use cases which require low latency and ultra-high reliability
Communication for mission-critical communications.

5G standardization and requirements

In order to support this wide array of use cases, 5G networks must meet certain
requirements. There are several official bodies which develop specifications for 5G
technology. The most popular and well-known ones are the 3rd Generation Partnership
Project (3GPP) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

While 3GPP defines all telecommunications standards and controls them, ITU evaluates the
requirements and sets specific guidelines. In the report for International Mobile

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Telecommunications-2020 (IMT-2020) systems, ITU defines a list of requirements towards

5G:
Figure 2: 5G requirements

With these requirements met, 5G technology answers the unprecedented demands towards
efficiency, flexibility, and scalability of the radio access network (RAN). Each of them
represents a specific benefit in terms of faster speeds in data access and immediate
connection to the network. These high levels of performance are enabled by a group of

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technologies introduced in 5G.

5G technologies

New spectrum 5G is the rst radio technology designed to operate on any frequency band between 450 MHz
and 90 GHz. In comparison, the 4G technology operates on bands between 450 MHz and 6 GHz.
In 5G, the low bands are used for wide coverage and the high bands for high data rates and
capacity.

Massive MIMO (mMIMO) mMIMO and beamforming enhance both spectral efficiency and network coverage. Thanks to
and beamforming algorithms used in beamforming, the radio signal gets directly to the user, which increases
efficiency and reduces interference. Since the antenna size is relative to the wavelength,
beamforming becomes more practical at higher frequencies.

Dense networks Reduction of the cell size guarantees effective usage of the available spectrum. Thanks to the
extensive use of small cells instead of macro cells, 5G networks observe increased level of data
capacity.

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Multi-connectivity and 5G can be deployed in different architecture modes. One of them is a non-standalone (NSA)
aggregation solution where 5G works on top of the existing 4G infrastructure. It improves user data peak
rates and connection reliability. Such solution enables you to maximize your existing assets. The
second option is a standalone (SA) architecture where 5G uses its own 5G core network. This
solution also allows for multi-connectivity and aggregation, for example, in case of FR1 and FR2
cells.

Network slicing 5G enables you to partition your network end-to-end, to devote some of its capacity for the
exclusive use of particular industries or applications. This makes the services independent.

Multi-access edge 5G enables bringing the applications from the centralized locations to the edge of the network.
computing (MEC) As a result, the applications are closer to the users and devices. Thanks to MEC, users experience
low latency, high bandwidth, and real-time access to data.

So how does 5G work?

Similarly to previous technologies, 5G comprises four elements – a RAN, a core network, a
transport network, and an interconnection network. Two of these elements, meaning the
RAN and the core network, are of high interest in 5G. While previous technologies have
clearly separated these elements by deploying the RAN on several distributed sites and the
core network mainly on regional sites, 5G offers the possibility of flexible deployments. You
can use single sites, cloud computing, edge computing…

Additionally, the 5G implementation includes:

Softwarization of the network
Separation of compute and storage
Network slicing approach towards utilization of physical resources
MEC for low-latency data transfer
Separation of control plane (C-plane) and user plane (U-plane)
Support of centralized and distributed processing
Microservices-based functionalities
Application programming interface (API)-based services
Virtualization of network elements in cloud deployments

The shift from 4G to pure 5G is not easy. Implementation of the 5G ecosystem with the new
spectrum, mMIMO, network slicing, and other technologies is very complex and diverse.
That’s why, among many architectural options that 5G offers, you can deploy it firstly in an
NSA mode, using the Evolved Packet Core (EPC), and only then transit gradually to an SA
mode. Thus, you can rely on the existing 4G architecture and prepare for a fully independent
5G deployment.

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To conclude
5G is not only about improvements, but also about a (r)evolution. It’s the first mobile
technology designed for everyone and everything: people, machines, and systems. It
promises to deliver many things, but above all, it is an enabler to improve lives and to create
a safer, more sustainable society. Although many people claim they don’t need anything new
and better, it’s almost always the case that over time they start wondering how they could
live without new solutions. Soon they’ll also be surprised how it was possible to live without
5G.

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2. What is AirScale BTS - 5G

AirScale BTS - 5G is a Nokia solution which provides 3GPP radio support.

Main facts about AirScale BTS - 5G

5G is a new generation of radio systems and network architecture. It delivers extreme
broadband, ultra-robust low-latency connectivity, and massive networking to support many
different business models. AirScale BTS - 5G is one of Nokia 5G BTS variants that uses the
AirScale product family to support 5G radio technology.

AirScale BTS - 5G hosts all functions, both non-real-time and real-time, in a purpose-built
AirScale system module. This means that both logical elements of a gNB, meaning a gNB
central unit (gNB-CU) and a gNB distributed unit (gNB-DU), reside in the physical hardware.
Because of it, in AirScale BTS - 5G the F1 interface between a gNB-CU and a gNB-DU is fully
internal and doesn't correspond to the 3GPP F1 interface. This means that it cannot be
accessed by external entities. Additionally, AirScale BTS - 5G uses containers within AirScale
common plug-in units to manage the software. In contrast to AirScale BTS - 5G, AirScale
Cloud BTS - 5G, meaning a cloud 5G BTS, brings non-real time functions into the cloud. It
uses a virtualization technique to achieve scalable, flexible, and agile environment.
Figure 3: AirScale BTS - 5G vs. AirScale Cloud BTS - 5G

gNB-CU gNB central unit

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gNB-DU gNB distributed unit

OAM operations, administration, and maintenance

RU radio unit

Deployment options
You can deploy AirScale BTS - 5G in the non-standalone (NSA) option 3x.
Figure 4: NSA 3x deployment

In this type of architecture, only the master node, which is an eNB, has a control plane (C-
plane) connection to the core network. The secondary node, meaning a gNB, has only the
user plane (U-plane) path to the core network. Data flows to and from the network through
the gNB and the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) over the S1-U interface. From there, it's
delivered over the air interface to the UE. The C-plane is carried over the S1-C interface
from the eNB to the EPC.

The eNB controls the gNB through the X2-C interface. As a result, the eNB is responsible for
signaling with the EPC, and for establishment of 5G bearers between the gNB and the
serving gateway (S-GW). In case of lost coverage, the E-UTRAN radio access bearer (E-RAB)
modification creates a new path from the core network to the eNB.

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Note:

In case of split radio bearers, the connectivity to the EPC always terminates only at
the gNB-CU U-plane for both 5G and 4G data radio bearers.

The UE is composed of a standard 4G unit and an additional 5G unit. Such UE is called dual-
connectivity UE. In the NSA mode, the 4G connectivity has a priority. As there is no 5G-only
operating mode, you can get the UE connection to the 5G component only with 4G.

Additionally to the NSA option 3x deployment, you can also deploy AirScale BTS - 5G in the
standalone (SA) option 2.
Figure 5: SA option 2 deployment

In this type of architecture, a gNB has both C-plane and U-plane connection to the core
network. The SA mode doesn't require the EPC to run. Instead, it relies on the new 5G core
network (5GC) architecture. The C-plane is carried over the NG-C interface between the gNB
and the access and mobility management function (AMF) of the 5GC. The U-plane, on the
other hand, flows from the gNB to the U-plane function (UPF) of the 5GC. While the AMF
contains part of the 4G MME functionality, the UPF contains part of 4G S-GW functionality.
The SA mode is available in the cmWave frequency range.

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Frequency bands
AirScale BTS - 5G supports the following frequency ranges (FRs):
FR1 from 410 MHz to 7,125 MHz
FR2 from 24,250 MHz to 52,600 MHz

Scope of this document

This document presents the main characteristics of AirScale BTS - 5G and provides basic
information on its security, transport, deployment, and operability.

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3. AirScale BTS - 5G E2E solution

AirScale BTS - 5G provides logical interfaces to eNBs, other gNBs, the core network, the
UE, and all management elements.

The end-to-end (E2E) solution of AirScale BTS - 5G includes the neighboring eNBs, the
neighboring gNBs, the core network, and the UE.
Figure 6: Overview of AirScale BTS - 5G software context

Moreover, AirScale BTS - 5G interacts with many external network elements, including:
ALD
Antenna line device (ALD) is a generic term for an addressable physical device such as an
antenna drive or amplifier. In AirScale BTS - 5G, supported ALDs include:
Remote antenna extension (RAE), which is used for antenna information management
(for example, the weighting factors). Optionally, this module can also store the test
record information.
Remote electrical tilt (RET), which allows to control the tilt angle of the antenna
remotely from the tower base or the network management center.
DCAP
Data Collection and Analytics Platform (DCAP) is a tool for collecting and analyzing
troubleshooting data from network elements. It receives gNB trace streams and activates
and receives log snapshots through the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol.
NetAct
NetAct is a network management system (NMS) that offers a uniform set of tools for
radio, core, and transport network management. As the basis for it are industry
standards and open architecture, NetAct enables you to manage multi-technology and
multivendor networks with one single system. Because NetAct is virtual, it can provide

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near-zero downtime for upgrades. Moreover, it is highly scalable and can handle not only
technology lifecycle requirements, but also network growth and changes in service
offering.
NetAct performs the following management functions:
Fault management
Optimization, including optimization of resource usage, identification of bottlenecks in
the system
Configuration management
Performance management
Security management
Network administration
Software load management
NSP
Network Services Platform (NSP), similarly to NetAct, is an NMS built to meet such goals
as simple delivery and network optimization. It's a carrier software-defined networking
(SDN) platform that unifies service automation with network optimization across IP and
optical domains, allowing you to deliver on-demand network services. It enables you to
define, provision, and activate network services across networks that span multiple layers
and infrastructures.
WebEM
Web Element Manager (WebEM) is an administrative tool for managing a single classical
gNB locally or remotely, independently of network management services provided by the
NMS.
External servers and other entities such as:
Precision Time Protocol (PTP) server
Network Time Protocol (NTP) server
Domain Name System (DNS) server
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server
Cognitive Analytics for Mobile Networks (CA4MN)
GNSS receiver
Certificate authority (CA)
Security gateway (SeGW)
ASiManager (ASiMgr)

E2E solution for the NSA deployment

The non-standalone (NSA) E2E solution with AirScale BTS - 5G and the interfaces presents in
the following way:

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Figure 7: AirScale BTS - 5G NSA E2E solution overview

Backhaul/Ethernet Interface which connects a gNB to external entities, such as different

kinds of servers, CA, or SeGW.

NAS Set of protocols which establish a connection between the UE and

the core network. In NSA mode, non-access stratum (NAS) messages
are handled through the 4G core network. They are not interpreted
by an eNB, however, they are conveyed transparently by the eNB
through the S1-C and 4G-Uu interfaces.

NE3S Interface between a gNB and NetAct or NSP for fault, conguration,
performance, and security management that supports various
transport protocols.

S1 Interface which is a link between a gNB or an eNB and the core

network. For more details, see S1 and X2 interfaces.

SOAMIF Transport protocol which provides the exchange of datagrams

between a gNB and DCAP. Additionally, it connects a gNB to WebEM.

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Uu Interface which connects a gNB or an eNB to the UE. Because of two

different technologies involved in NSA mode, this interface can either
be 5G-Uu or 4G-Uu.

X2 Interface which logically represents the point-to-point link between a

gNB and an eNB. It's responsible for exchanging signaling and data
between two neighbor BTSs. For more details, see S1 and X2
interfaces.

XpIf Proprietary interface introduced for LTE-NR dynamic spectrum

sharing (DSS). It carries both signaling and control messages between
an eNB and a gNB.

E2E solution for the SA deployment

The standalone (SA) E2E solution with AirScale BTS - 5G and the interfaces presents in the
following way:
Figure 8: AirScale BTS - 5G SA E2E solution overview

Backhaul/Ethernet Interface which connects a gNB to external entities, such as different

kinds of servers, CA, or SeGW.

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AirScale BTS - 5G Product Description

NAS Set of protocols which establish a connection between the UE and

the core network. In SA mode, non-access stratum (NAS) messages
are handled through the 5G core network (5GC). They are not
interpreted by a gNB, however, they are conveyed transparently by
the gNB through the NG-C and 5G-Uu interfaces.

NE3S Interface between a gNB and NetAct or NSP for fault, conguration,
performance, and security management that supports various
transport protocols.

NG Interface between a gNB and the 5G core network (5GC). For more
details, see Xn and NG interfaces.

SOAMIF Transport protocol which provides the exchange of datagrams

between a gNB and DCAP. Additionally, it connects a gNB to WebEM.

Uu Interface which connects a gNB to the UE. Because it's the 5G

technology, the interface is named 5G-Uu.

Xn Interface with logically represents the point-to-point link between two

gNBs. For more details, see Xn and NG interfaces.

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4. Architecture of AirScale BTS - 5G

AirScale BTS - 5G is a network element split into two logical entities according to 3GPP,
and into two physical entities according to Nokia terminology. The logical entities map to
the physical ones.

Architecture overview
AirScale BTS - 5G is a classical gNB split into two main logical entities:
gNB central unit (gNB-CU), which hosts Radio Resource Control (RRC), Service Data
Adaptation Protocol, and Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP).
gNB distributed unit (gNB-DU), which hosts Radio Link Control (RLC), Media Access
Control (MAC), and physical layers.

In this solution, one gNB-CU controls one gNB-DU.

Physical entities of a classical gNB include:

Radio access unit (RAU) Entity which hosts all functions except the radio unit (RU) functions.

Radio unit (RU) Entity which hosts the RF functionality and which processes
beamforming. Optionally, it also can control the low part of L1
processing, when the L1 high is in the RAU. This is applicable to the
Enhanced Common Public Radio Interface (eCPRI) usage between the
RAU and the RU.

While the gNB-CU functions are deployed within the RAU, the gNB-DU ones are deployed
both within the RAU and the RU. Optionally, there might also be a fronthaul switch (FHS)
connecting an Open Base Station Architecture Initiative (OBSAI) RU to the RAU.

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Figure 9: Classical gNB logical and physical entities mapping

RAU-RU connection
A classical gNB is an aggregation of one RAU with at least one RU. The RAU and the RU can be
connected either with the CPRI or the eCPRI inteface.
Figure 10: RAU-RU connection possibilities

The eCPRI enables the split of L1 with L1 high in the RAU and L1 low in the RU. While the
CPRI is a streaming time domain interface, the eCPRI is an Ethernet packet-based interface
allowing for transfer of frequency domain data and beamforming information.

A CPRI-based RU can be connected to the RAU either directly or it can be chained with
another RU. The functionality of chaining is introduced by the CB006286: Nokia-CPRI Radio
Unit Chaining with ABIL in 5G Releases feature and is applicable to FDD RUs only. With this

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feature, you can chain up to three RUs, maintaining distance of 30 km between the last RU
in the chain and the RAU.

In order to connect an OBSAI-based RU to the RAU, you need an FHS. For details, see
Supported FHSs.

For more detailed information on CPRI and eCPRI interfaces, see CPRI and eCPRI interfaces.

Functional split
In AirScale BTS - 5G, the functional split between the RAU and RU presents as follows:
Figure 11: AirScale BTS - 5G functional split

As a result of this split:

L3 functions, including control plane (C-plane) and user plane (U-plane), reside in the RAU.
L2 functions, including SDAP, RLC, MAC, and packet scheduler (PS), reside in the RAU.

L1 functions or L1 high functions1) reside in the RAU.

RF and L1 low1) functions reside in the RU.

Functional split of physical layers keeps most of the functionalities in the RAU. This enables
introduction of new features without a need to make changes in radio equipment.
Additionally, it encourages utilization of Ethernet-based fronthaul transport network.

1)
In the eCPRI case, L1 is split into L1 high, managed in the RAU, and L1 low, managed in the
RU. In the CPRI case, whole L1 is managed in the RAU.

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4.1 Supported RAUs

In AirScale BTS - 5G, the radio access unit (RAU) is deployed as an AirScale 5G system
module.

You can deploy the RAU as an AirScale 5G system module:

Figure 12: AirScale 5G system module overview

This module is composed of:

Indoor or outdoor subracks and mounting kits
Plug-in units, including:
Common plug-in units
Capacity plug-in units
Other specific plug-in units, such as a fronthaul switch
Auxiliary modules

The functionalities of AirScale 5G system module include:

Transport control
Clock and timing generation and distribution
Power distribution
Operation and maintenance of a BTS
Radio interface distribution and control

The RAU hardware supported by AirScale BTS - 5G includes:

Table 1: AirScale BTS - 5G subracks and plug-in units

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Type of hardware Name Introductory feature Description

Subrack AMIA 5GC000623: AirScale High-capacity indoor

Subrack AMIA subrack, which hosts
up to two common
plug-in units and up
to six capacity plug-in
units.

AMOB 5GC000418: AMOB High-capacity outdoor

Outdoor Sub-rack for subrack, which hosts
5G up to two common
plug-in units and up
to six capacity plug-in
units.

AMOD 5GC001121: AMOD High-capacity outdoor

Outdoor Sub-rack for subrack, which hosts
5G up to two common
plug-in units and up
to six capacity plug-in
units. What differs it
from AMOB is lower
acoustic noise.

Common plug-in unit ASIB 5GC000470: Common plug-in unit

AirScale Common responsible for
ASIB covered in transport interfacing
Nokia AirScale System and centralized
Module Product processing. It's an
Description alternative to the ASIK
common plug-in unit.
One variant of ASIB is
ASIBA, which is
equipped with a
screw-type DC
connector in
comparison to the
clamp-type connector
used on ASIB.

ASIK 5GC000275: AirScale Common plug-in unit

Common ASIK responsible for
transport interfacing
and centralized
processing. One
variant of ASIK
common plug-in unit
is ASIKA, which is
equipped with a dual-
hole DC connector.

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Type of hardware Name Introductory feature Description

Capacity plug-in unit ABIL 5GC000276: AirScale Capacity plug-in unit

Capacity ABIL responsible for
baseband processing.
It connects the whole
subrack with a radio
unit (RU).

For more information about the RAU hardware, see Nokia AirScale System Module Product
Description.

Additionally to all the described RAU hardware, you can also install an FCOB high-capacity
outdoor cabinet. FCOB is already in use in LTE and SRAN deployments. Apart from hosting
an AMIA subrack with up to two common plug-in units and up to six capacity plug-in units,
FCOB includes one unit space to host a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver, a
rectifier, routers, or other third-party units. In 5G, you can use FCOB in configurations both
with and without SRAN system modules. For more information on FCOB, see 5GC000416:
FCOB Outdoor Shelter for 5G.

4.2 Supported RUs

Radio units (RUs) provide radio frequency (RF) functions of AirScale BTS - 5G and process
beamforming.

RU is the RF circuitry of a gNB enclosed in a small outdoor module. It's responsible for
transmitting and receiving data, filtering, and amplification.

The RUs supported in AirScale BTS - 5G can be divided into cmWave and mmWave ones.
Within the group of cmWave RUs, there are also single frequency network (SFN) RUs,
meaning AirScale Indoor Radios (ASiRs), used for indoor coverage.

cmWave RUs
cmWave RUs are associated with 3GPP frequency range 1 (FR1) from 410 MHz to 7,125 MHz,
and its frequency bands defined in 3GPP TS 38.104.

cmWave RUs have the following characteristics:

They support TDD or FDD mode.
They support various bandwidths up to 200 MHz.
Some of these RUs use integrated Massive MIMO Adaptive Antenna (MAA) and others use
external antennas.

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Some of these RUs support beamforming.

Some of these RUs can be shared between 4G and 5G technologies.
In AirScale BTS - 5G, they support Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) fronthaul.

Some examples of cmWave RUs include:

AirScale Micro RRH 4T4R B42/n78 40W (AWHQE)
AirScale Micro RRH 4T4R B42/n78 40W (AWHQG)
AirScale Dual RRH 4T4R B12/n71 240 W (AHLOA)

For a full list of supported cmWave RUs, see Nokia AirScale Radio Units Description.

SFN RUs
Each AirScale Indoor Radio (ASiR) used in an SFN is composed of one ASiR Smart Hub (ASiR-
sHub) and one or several ASiR Pico Remote Radio Heads (ASiR-pRRHs). From the radio access
unit (RAU) perspective, these are seen as one RU.
ASiRs have the following characteristics:
They support the Small Cells platform.
They don't support beamforming.
In AirScale BTS - 5G, they support CPRI fronthaul.
They're controlled by ASiManager.

Some examples of ASiRs include:

AWHQA AirScale Indoor Radio n78 (B42) ASiR-pRRH
AWHQB AirScale Indoor Radio n78 (B43) ASiR-pRRH
AWHQC AirScale Indoor Radio n78 (3.3-3.6 GHz) ASiR-pRRH

For more information on SFN RUs, see the AirScale Indoor Radio System 5G ASiR-pRRH
Product Description document in the AirScale Indoor Radio – 5G operating documentation.

mmWave RUs
mmWave RUs are associated with 3GPP frequency range 2 (FR2) from 24,250 MHz to 52,600
MHz, and its frequency bands defined in 3GPP TS 38.104.

mmWave RUs have the following characteristics:

They support only TDD mode.
They support various bandwidths up to 800 MHz.
They manage analog beamforming.

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They use MAAs.

They don't support external antennas.

Some examples of mmWave RUs include:

AirScale MAA 2T2R 512 AE n257 8W (AEUF)
AirScale MAA 2*2T2R 256 AE n257 4W (AEUD)
AirScale MAA 2*2T2R 256 AE n260 4W (AEWD)

For a full list of supported mmWave RUs, see Nokia AirScale Radio Units Description.

4.3 Supported FHSs

Fronthaul switch (FHS) is an optional element of the AirScale BTS - 5G architecture.

FHS is a plug-in module, either indoor or outdoor, that improves the connectivity between a
radio unit (RU) and a radio access unit (RAU). Both indoor and outdoor variants share a
common hardware architecture.

The main FHS function in the AirScale BTS - 5G architecture is to allow for a connection
between Open Base Station Architecture Initiative (OBSAI) RUs and the RAU.
Figure 13: RAU-FHS-RU interface

The FHS converts the OBSAI interface to the Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI), and the
other way around.

There are two types of the FHS supported in AirScale BTS - 5G:

MDEA Outdoor FHS that provides up to four CPRI interfaces towards a

system module (SM) and up to ten OBSAI or CPRI interfaces towards
RUs.

MDCD Indoor FHS that provides a switching functionality at the interface

between an SM and RUs. It allows to multiplex the IQ data for several
RUs onto up to four optical bers.

For more information on MDEA and MDCD FHSs, see Nokia AirScale BTS Fronthaul Solution
Units Description.

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5. Transport in AirScale BTS - 5G

In AirScale BTS - 5G, logical interfaces and transport protocols comply with the 3GPP
standards.

AirScale BTS - 5G has two main managed elements, meaning a gNB central unit (gNB-CU)
and a gNB distributed unit (gNB-DU). In a classical gNB, they are deployed as a radio access
unit (RAU) and a radio unit (RU). These elements are connected to each other and to other
entities with two types of network:
Fronthaul, which connects the RAU with the RU.
Backhaul, which connects the RAU with core elements of the network and its
management systems.

Transport configuration is supported through a TNL sub-tree, which is a collection of

managed objects (MOs). A site configuration file (SCF) configures transport in a whole gNB.

Transport provides services for the IP endpoints of a gNB located at the:

GPRS Tunneling Protocol user plane (GTP-U).
User Datagram Protocol (UDP).
Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP).
IP.
Ethernet Media Access Control (MAC) layer.
physical layer.

The gNB-DU uses the physical 10G Ethernet interface with multiple 10G interface ports.

Connectivity is based on IP for the S1 and X2 interfaces. The endpoints support both IPv4
and IPv6 protocols. However, all endpoints in a single logical element need to support the
same IP version. This means that both a gNB-CU and a gNB-DU need to be configured
globally either for IPv4 or IPv6.

For the low layer split, when the Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) is used, connectivity
is based on a direct fiber or a dedicated lambda. Additionally, AirScale BTS - 5G supports the
Enhanced CPRI (eCPRI)-based Ethernet fronthaul.

When it comes to transport security, the S1 and X2 interfaces support IPsec, which provides
authentication, integrity, anti-replay, and data confidentiality services.

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5.1 S1 and X2 interfaces

The S1 and X2 interfaces are logical interfaces compliant with 3GPP standards.

High-level view on the S1 and X2 interfaces

The S1 and X2 interfaces are present in the non-standalone (NSA) option 3x deployment.
The transport architecture of the high-layer split of AirScale BTS - 5G then presents as
follows:
Figure 14: S1 and X2 transport interfaces

For a full view on the E2E solution, including other elements and interfaces, see AirScale BTS
- 5G E2E solution.

S1 interface
The S1 interface connects a BTS to the core network. In the NSA option 3x, a gNB is
controlled by an eNB, which is responsible for signaling with the Evolved Packet Core (EPC)
and the establishment of 5G bearers between a serving gateway (S-GW) and the gNB. In case
of split radio bearers, the connectivity to the EPC always terminates only at the gNB U-plane
for both 5G and 4G data radio bearers. In this type of architecture, the gNB has only the U-
plane connection to the EPC, and no C-plane connection. The eNB has both the U-plane and
C-plane links to the EPC.

Therefore, the S1 interface has the following variants:

S1-C

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The S1-C interface transports the C-plane data between the eNB and the EPC. The S1-C
protocol stack presents as follows:
Figure 15: S1-C protocol stack

S1-U
The S1-U interface transports the U-plane data through the S1 bearer using the GPRS
Tunneling Protocol U-plane (GTP-U). The S1 bearer is composed of two opposite-directed
unidirectional GTP-U tunnels between the gNB and the S-GW. The S1-U protocol stack
presents as follows:
Figure 16: S1-U protocol stack

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X2 interface
The X2 interface is a point-to-point link between a gNB and an eNB. It has the following
variants:
X2-C
The X2-C interface allows the eNB to request another gNB to provide radio resources for
a certain UE while keeping responsibility for that UE. Its protocol stack presents as
follows:
Figure 17: X2-C protocol stack

X2-U
The X2-U interface supports tunneling of end-user packets from the gNB to the eNB. The
X2-U protocol stack is identical to the S1-U protocol stack. It presents as follows:
Figure 18: X2-U protocol stack

5.2 Xn and NG interfaces

The Xn and NG interfaces are logical interfaces compliant with 3GPP standards.

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High-level view on the Xn and NG interfaces

The Xn and NG interfaces are open interfaces present in the standalone (SA) option 2
deployment. The transport architecture with the usage of these interfaces presents as
follows:
Figure 19: Xn and NG transport interfaces

For a full view on the E2E solution, including other elements and interfaces, see AirScale BTS
- 5G E2E solution.

Xn interface
The Xn interface is a point-to-point link between two gNBs in the SA mode. This interface
supports the exchange of signaling information between two gNBs, and the forwarding of
protocol data units (PDUs) to the respective tunnel endpoints. The Xn interface consists of
the following parts:
Xn-C
The Xn-C interface supports the following functions:
Xn interface management
UE mobility management, including context transfer and RAN paging
The Xn-C protocol stack presents as follows:

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Figure 20: Xn-C protocol stack

The Xn Application Protocol (XnAP) is the application layer signaling protocol. Its services
are divided into two groups:

XnAP basic mobility These are procedures used to handle the UE mobility within E-
procedures UTRAN. They include, for example, handovers or RAN paging.

XnAP global procedures These are procedures not related to a specic UE. They include, for
example, Xn setup, reset or error indication, or gNB conguration
update.

The Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) layer provides guaranteed delivery of
application layer messages.
Xn-U
The Xn-U interface supports the following functions:
Data forwarding
Flow control
The Xn-U protocol stack presents as follows:

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Figure 21: Xn-U protocol stack

NG interface
The NG interface is a logical interface which connects a gNB with the 5G core network (5GC).
It supports the exchange of signaling information between the NG-RAN and 5GC. In general,
the NG interface is capable of:
establishing, maintaining, and releasing NG-RAN part of PDU sessions.
performing intra-RAT handover and inter-RAT handover.
separating each UE on the protocol level for user-specific signaling management.
transferring non-access stratum (NAS) signaling messages between UE and an access and
mobility management function (AMF).
handling mechanisms for resource reservation for packet data streams.

The NG interface has the following parts:

NG-C
The NG-C interface connects a gNB with the AMF of the 5GC. It handles the following
functions:
Configuration transfer
Paging
NAS messages transport
UE context management
PDU session management
UE mobility management

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Warning message transmission

There may be multiple logical NG-C interface towards the 5GC from any gNB.
The NG-C protocol stack presents as follows:
Figure 22: NG-C protocol stack

The NG Application Protocol (NGAP) provides the signaling services between the gNB and
the AMF. These services are divided into two groups:

Non-UE-associated Services that are related to the whole NG interface instance

services between a gNB utilizing a non-UE-associated signaling connection
and the 5GC.

UE-associated services Services that are related to one UE. NGAP functions that provide
these services are associated with a UE-associated signaling
connection that is maintained for the UE in question.

The SCTP layer provides guaranteed delivery of application layer messages.

The IP layer point-to-point transmission is used to deliver the signaling PDUs.
NG-U
The NG-U interface connects a gNB with a user plane function (UPF). It provides non-
guaranteed delivery of user plane (U-plane) PDUs between the gNB and the UPF.
There may be multiple NG-U interfaces towards the 5GC from any gNB.
The NG-U protocol stack presents as follows:

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Figure 23: NG-U protocol stack

5.3 CPRI and eCPRI interfaces

You can use the Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) or the Enhanced CPRI (eCPRI)
interface between a radio access unit (RAU) and a radio unit (RU).

High-level view on the CPRI and eCPRI interfaces

You can operate the RAU-RU connection using either the CPRI or the eCPRI interface.

Note:

The RAU can be connected to some RUs with the CPRI and to some RUs with the
eCPRI. However, each capacity plug-in unit of the RAU can support only one type of
interface, meaning either the CPRI or the eCPRI, and not both interfaces at the same
time.

CPRI
The CPRI is a streaming interface between a system module and an RU.

It supports the following types of information flows:

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IQ data IQ data, also known as quadrature signals, provides the user plane (U-
plane) information in the form of in-phase and quadrature
modulation data.
IQ data can take the shape of:
• antenna carrier streams, in which the IQ data is associated to a
specic carrier and a specic antenna in an RU.
• spatial streams, in which the IQ data is associated to a specic
carrier and a specic beam. An RU beamforms the IQ data before
transmitting it over several antenna elements in DL and process the
signal from antenna elements to a spatial stream in UL.

Synchronization Synchronization data provides information necessary for frame and

time alignment of network elements. This information is used by an
RU for radio transmission.

C&M data Control and management (C&M) data provides information that is
exchanged between the control and management entities within the
5G system. This information ow is transferred to the higher protocol
layers.

Vendor-specic Vendor-specic information provides reserved bytes (RB) and vendor-

information specic bytes (VSB). While RB are used to report a link alarm, reset an
RU, and congure the bandwidth of fast C&M, VSB are used for RU
discovery, fast C&M setup, and beamforming control.

When a CPRI-based RU is shared between a gNB and an eNB, an RU is connected to both a

gNB RAU and the eNB via the CPRI.
Figure 24: CPRI interface

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eCPRI
The eCPRI is a low-latency Ethernet fronthaul interface between a system module and an
RU. Its usage is restricted to mmWave RUs. The eCPRI enables the split of L1 to L1 high in
the system module and L1 low in the RU, with transfer of frequency domain data and
beamforming information.

Figure 25: eCPRI interface

The eCPRI provides many benefits, including:

the possibility to use a single technology for all data flows. Such a solution is flexible and
network-oriented. It allows networks to evolve and take shape of shared and public
networks.
scalability, simplicity, usability, and flexibility of network resources both in centralized and
distributed network topologies.
better pooling of resources and clustering, which might enable introduction of new types
of products in the future.
reduction of the number of links needed to connect the RAU with the RU in case of
massive MIMO (mMIMO) with beamforming systems.
a more flexible functional split with beamforming in RUs.

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6. Synchronization in AirScale BTS - 5G

Synchronization of the 5G system is based on a satellite navigation system receiver,
meaning Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

Clock and time synchronization requirements

Clock and time synchronization requirements for the classical gNB at the air interface are as
follows:
Frequency error between a signal transmitted over air and assigned frequency in both
FDD and TDD needs to be in a range from –50 ppb to +50 ppb for any 1 ms observation
interval.
Phase error in TDD needs to be in a range from –1.5 μs to +1.5 μs.

Additionally, for MIMO or data transmission (TRX) diversity, the time alignment error (TAE),
meaning a relative time error between two air interfaces belonging to the same gNB, cannot
exceed 65 ns. For intra-band carrier aggregation, with or without MIMO or TRX diversity, TAE
cannot exceed 260 ns.

RAU synchronization
The RAU needs to have precise timing to meet 3GPP requirements. There are several
sources of clock and time synchronization for the RAU:
From the GNSS receiver that provides 1PPS signal and time-of-day (ToD) synchronization.
You can use the following GNSS systems for clock and time synchronization:
GPS
GLONASS
BEIDOU
From another 5G RAU or a 4G BTS, which acts as a sync hub master and provides 1PPS
and ToD.
From Timing-over-Packet (ToP), using the IEEE 1588-2008 protocol.
From the synchronous Ethernet which provides a reliable frequency clock, but no ToD.
You can retrieve ToD by using 5GC000765: NTP Time Synchronization for DU and
Classical gNB.

Note:

NTP is not accurate enough to be used in TDD configurations.

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Getting the 1PPS and ToD either from an external GNSS or from another BTS is possible
thanks to the SYNC_IN interface.

In 5G, there are several external GNSS receiver devices that can connect with the RAU:
FYGC, introduced by 5GC000352: GNSS Receiver FYGC
FYGM, introduced by 5GC000662: GNSS Receiver FYGM

To get correct timing from the GNSS receiver, the RAU needs to compensate the cable delay
between the GNSS antenna and the RAU connector.

The input ToD is used to derive an internal counter BCN and the system frame number
(SFN).

The RAU can provide referenced clock and timing to:

a radio unit (RU) through the Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) or through
synchronous Ethernet (SyncE) and ToP in case of Enhanced CPRI (eCPRI).
another RAU or LTE BTS through the SYNC_OUT interface, acting as a sync hub master. It
is called Sync Hub Direct Forward (SHDF).

Sync Hub Direct Forward A way of distributing phase and time synchronization from one
(SHDF) source to all RAUs at one site. High phase accuracy between RAUs is
provided by the sync-out or sync-in connection. A synchronization
source is used as a sync input to a sync hub master which provides
1PPS and ToD as an output to sync hub slaves. If there are multiple
sync hub slaves, each of them forwards 1PPS and ToD directly to the
next sync hub slaves in the chain without any modication or
regeneration. If a sync hub slave in charge loses the synchronization
input, it can stay operational by relying on its own holdover period.
This chaining solution is enhanced with an ability of a sync hub
master to provide phase error information to all sync hub slaves
during its holdover period.
The total distance between a sync hub master and the last sync hub
slave cannot be greater than 400 m.

RU synchronization
In case of a CPRI-based RU, the RU gets its synchronization from the CPRI frame. The RAU is
responsible for delivering an accurate frequency and time reference to the RU to meet 3GPP
limits on the air interface.

In case of an eCPRI-based RU, the RU gets its synchronization from ToP as an eCPRI slave. In
this case, the RAU acts as the grand master.

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7. AirScale BTS - 5G multi-antenna technique

AirScale BTS - 5G uses two aspects of the multi-antenna technique, Massive MIMO
(mMIMO) and beamforming, to increase spectral efficiency and extend coverage of the 5G
network.

mMIMO
mMIMO is an antenna technology for a wireless communication in which multiple antennas
are used as a source, meaning a TX, and a destination, meaning an RX. Antennas at each end
of the communication circuit are combined to minimize errors and optimize data speed. The
mMIMO structure increases the channel capacity.

Spacial multiplexing allows a radio link composed of N number of TX antennas and N number
of RX antennas to exchange up to N number of independent data streams. TX antennas
send different symbols at the same time and frequency. Symbols propagate over the
wireless channel. Its characteristics are described by channel coefficients.

In 5G, there are two types of mMIMO:

Single-user MIMO (SU-MIMO), in which a TX sends data streams to a single UE at a time
using the same time and frequency resources. Depending on whether it is 2x2 MIMO or
4x4 MIMO, it either doubles or quadruples the peak throughput of a single user,
respectively.
Multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO), in which a TX sends individual data streams to distinct UEs
simultaneously, using the same time and frequency resources. MU-MIMO increases the
total cell throughput.

The case when a number of spacial streams for user data transmission is adjusted to
channel characteristics is called adaptive MIMO.

Beamforming
Beamforming is a technique used for directional signal transmission or reception. By
applying a dedicated phase and gain adjustments on a waveform transmitted by an array of
antenna elements, a larger gain is focused on a desired direction.

The main utility used in beamforming is a narrow beam, which helps to control information
and transmit data to individual UEs. Each individual beam is a signal limited in space
intended to reach UEs placed in the coverage zone of that specific beam. This beam is

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invisible to other users.

Nokia 5G solution introduces two types of beamforming:

Analog beamforming In analog beamforming, only one beam can be created for all cells at
a given time. This means that there is a single TX per polarization. The
beam pattern is obtained by modifying an RF signal between the TX
and antenna elements. The RF signal is modied by an RF Integrated
Circuit (RFIC) in a radio unit (RU).
Nevertheless, antenna arrays can be composed of several sub-panels,
each able to support a beam. For example, one antenna array may
have two sub-panels for cross polarization, including one for plus
polarization and the other for minus polarization.
Carriers above 6 GHz use this type of beamforming to increase
network coverage.
In analog beamforming, there can be up to 64 beams.

Digital beamforming In digital beamforming, beams are formed in a digital domain. This
technique permits management of several beams at the same time.
The beam pattern is synthesized by manipulating weights of
individual TXs. The weights are applied between fronthaul and TXs.
Carriers below 6 GHz use this type of beamforming to provide higher
spectral efficiency and to spatially co-schedule multiple UEs.
Digital beamforming can be used for:
• SU-MIMO, in which several UEs can be scheduled on different
beams with a different resource block (RB) each.
• MU-MIMO, in which several UEs can be scheduled on different
beams with the same RB. This scenario is possible when the UEs are
on different beams which don't interfere with each other.
In digital beamforming, there can be up to 8 coarse beams and 32
rened beams.

In beamforming, a UL transmission follows a DL transmission. Switching can be done either

on a slot basis, or on a symbol basis. In the TDD transmission mode, DL or UL frames are at
the same carrier frequency. Both the DL and the UL schedulers choose the beam direction
to be used during the incoming transmission time interval (TTI) according to the frame type.

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Figure 27: UL and DL transmission in beamforming

Beamforming provides common control channels. These channels need to be captured by all
UEs in the coverage area of a given cell. Due to the sweeping technique at predefined
amounts of time, the broadcast information is sent sequentially across all beams.
Figure 28: Channels coverage and sweeping in beamforming

Beamforming deployment
AirScale BTS - 5G operates on a set of predefined beams in UL and DL. This is called a grid of
beams (GoB) principle. The RU stores sets of beam weights and takes responsibility for beam
synthesis. A radio access unit (RAU) controls beam selection and indicates it to the RU by a
beam index. Selection of beams is based on the UE feedback. Thanks to GoB, there is
reduction of processing capacity requirements. Instead of connecting to every TX, only per-
user streams need to be transmitted.

The RAU:
fully manages traffic scheduling in terms of encoded data to be sent and dedicated beam
direction to be applied. It's done according to the relationship between the scheduled
data and the UE location for which the data is scheduled.

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manages UE detection and tracking.

creates control messages and sends them towards the RU.
manages TX and RX switching.

The RU:
terminates beamforming control messages and performs beamforming as requested in
the control message.
performs physical TX and RX switching according to the received control message.
calibrates RX and TX chains in digital beamforming.

7.1 Multi-antenna deployment cases

AirScale BTS - 5G supports two multi-antenna deployment scenarios.

AirScale BTS - 5G multi-antenna deployment cases include:

Above 6 GHz 2x2 MIMO with analog beamforming
Below 6 GHz single-user MIMO (SU-MIMO) with digital beamforming

Above 6 GHz MIMO with analog beamforming

Radio access point (RAP) configuration and capacity in this case is as follows:
1 sector
Up to 8 cells with 100 MHz bandwidth per sector
Up to 8 carrier aggregation (CA) component carriers (CCs)
Up to 1 UE 2x2 MIMO scheduled per slot per cell with one beam and two polarizations per
UE, or up to 8 UEs 2x2 MIMO scheduled per slot with each UE in a separate cell
1 CA UE with 8 CCs scheduled per slot

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Table 2: Cell characteristics for MIMO above 6 GHz

Cell MIMO Number of Number of Number of Peak gNB-DU

bandwidth cells sectors CA CCs throughput hardware
(64 QAM)

100 MHz 2x2 Up to 4 1 Up to 4 Up to 2.5 1 ASIK and

Gbps 1 ABIL

100 MHz 2x2 Up to 8 1 Up to 8 Up to 5 1 ASIK and

Gbps 2 ABILs

For more detailed information regarding Massive MIMO (mMIMO) use cases, see the
following 5G features:
5GC000531: DL SU Adaptive MIMO
5GC000532: UL SU Adaptive MIMO

Below 6 GHz SU-MIMO

RAP configuration and capacity in this case is as follows:
1 sector
Up to 2 cells with 100 MHz bandwidth per sector
Up to 1 UE 2x2 MIMO DL scheduled per slot per cell with one beam and two polarizations
per beam per UE, or up to 1 UE 4x4 MIMO DL scheduled per slot per cell with two beams
and two polarizations per beam per UE
1 CA UE with 2 CCs scheduled per slot

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Table 3: Cell characteristics for SU-MIMO below 6 GHz

Cell MIMO Number of Number of Number of Peak gNB-DU

bandwidth cells sectors CA CCs throughput hardware
(256 QAM)

100 MHz 2x2 1 1 1 650 Mbps 1 ASIK and

1 ABIL

100 MHz 2x2 2 1 2 1.3 Gbps 1 ASIK and

1 ABIL

100 MHz DL: 4xN 1 1 1 1.25 Gbps 1 ASIK and

UL: 2x2 1 ABIL

100 MHz DL: 4xN 2 1 2 2.5 Gbps 1 ASIK and

UL: 2x2 1 ABIL

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8. Radio resource management in AirScale BTS - 5G

Radio resource management (RRM) is the system level management of radio resources,
interference, and other radio transmission characteristics in a cellular network.

RRM contains algorithms for producing parameters and strategy, such as:
Transmit power
User allocation
Beamforming
Data rates
Handover criteria
Modulation scheme
Link adaption
Channel and error coding scheme

Its objective is to utilize the limited RF spectrum resources and radio network infrastructure
as efficiently as possible. RRM concerns multi-user (MU) and multi-cell network capacity
issues, as well as single-user (SU) channel quality and capacity.

There are two types of RRM:

Static RRM Involves cell and radio network planning schemes, including:
• Frequency band allocations
• Deployment of BTS sites
• Antenna heights
• Antenna directions
• Antenna and diversity mode selections
• Static network parametrization, such as handover thresholds

Dynamic RRM Uses algorithms that adaptively adjust radio network parameters to:
• Traffic load
• User positions
• User mobility
• Quality of service requirements
• BTS density
• Present noise and interference level
• gNB hardware capacity
The aim of dynamic RRM algorithms is to minimize manual cell
planning and achieve improved system spectral efficiency, such as
minimum capacity of the network.

For detailed information on AirScale BTS - 5G supported RRM functions, see Supported RRM

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functions.

8.1 Supported RRM functions

Radio resource management (RRM) contains algorithms and strategies responsible for
setting parameters that influence radio interface behavior.

RRM functions supported in AirScale BTS - 5G track different radio interface elements and
effects.

Radio admission control

Radio admission control (RAC) is a validation process which controls the use of radio
resources by accepting and rejecting requests for such usage.
In a non-standalone (NSA) option 3x, the RAC checks available resources in terms of:
Number of active UEs per 5G cell
Number of active UEs per gNB
Number of active UEs data radio bearers without flow-based QoS per 5G cell
Number of active UEs data radio bearers without flow-based QoS per gNB

Additionally, it checks resources on a sub-cell beamforming group level.

In a standalone (SA) option 2x, the RAC is performed based on:

Configured performance limits
Resource consumption in a 5G cell
Hardware limitations
QoS requirements for protocol data unit (PDU) sessions and QoS flows
Triggering event
Levels of access priorities
Capacity licensing limits

In the SA mode, the cell level RAC is performed on a cell group level during all resource
addition and release scenarios. In case several options are possible, the RAC selects the best
available component carrier. Cell level admission is based on user plane (U-plane) and
control plane (C-plane) hardware capacity, channel-state information (CSI) resource
situation, physical UL control channel (PUCCH) allocation, and sounding reference signal
(SRS) counts.

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Connection mobility control

Connection mobility control (CMC) is an RRM function that controls UE measurements of
serving and neighboring cells, and provides handover and cell change decisions. CMC
manages radio resources in connection with idle or connected mode mobility. In the NSA
mode, idle mode mobility is managed by an eNB acting as a master node. Intra-NR
connected mode mobility is managed by an en-gNB, meaning a gNB acting as a secondary
node. Handover decisions are based on UE measurements configured by the en-gNB.

Packet scheduling
Packet scheduling (PS) is part of the Media Access Control (MAC) functionality. It's
responsible for allocation of radio resources to different users and logical channels in time,
frequency, and beam space. To do so, it considers various parameters, including:
QoS needs per UE, bearer, flow, or packet
Buffer status per bearer or flow
Channel status per UE
Beam status per UE
Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) status

Key PS features include:

Resource allocation for UL and DL
QoS and priority handling
Data channel resource allocation
Control channel resource allocation
HARQ handling
Buffer handling
Multi-cell scheduling

The scheduling task is handled stepwise. Firstly, there is a pre-scheduler task that tracks all
UE- and bearer-related state changes that are relevant to the scheduling task. This is an
event-triggered task where, for example, the UE status is updated when a certain report or
measurement occurs. Then, the scheduler selects per transmission time interval (TTI) the
following:
Slot type
Beam in case of analog beamforming
Users that need to be scheduled
Resource allocation on logical channels
Share of different bearers of a certain UE for DL

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The scheduling process presents as follows:

Figure 29: Overview on packet scheduling process

Inter-RAT radio resource management

The inter-RAT RRM consists of L2 and L3 components.

In the NSA option 3x, the functions are divided between an eNB, which acts as a master
node, and an en-gNB, which acts as a secondary node.

The L2 functions include:

Data split and flow control between NR and LTE
UL power split to observe the specific absorption rate (SAR) requirement
Semi-dependent scheduling on NR and LTE
Enforcement of UE aggregated maximum bit rate (AMBR)

The L3 functions include:

Handling UE capabilities
Deciding on and triggering en-gNB additions

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Setting up L3 measurements for 5G carriers

Setting up a policy on additional carriers
Handling handovers
Admission control on an en-gNB

UL power control
Open-loop UL power control is supported for the physical UL shared channels (PUSCHs) and
physical UL control channels (PUCCHs). For open-loop UL power control, the UE adjusts the
transmit power for each transmission according to the number of assigned resources and
the measured pathloss. The approach assigns the target received power value for each
resource block or control channel element (CCE) and provides additional power for pathloss
compensation.

DL power control
In DL, there is an equal power distribution applied. The total power per cell is divided by the
maximum number of supported beams per symbol. Moreover, the power per beam is split
equally to all physical resource blocks (PRBs) and to their subcarriers. It results in constant
power density per PRB. The TX power of a slot scales with the number of used PRBs in this
slot. Power distribution to beams is required only in case of digital beamforming. This means
that cell power is distributed only in the frequency domain. Additionally, there exists also
PDSCH power reduction to minimize inter cell interference if the UE channel allows it.

Link adaptation
Link adaptation optimizes air interface efficiency. It controls the radio link quality on the
following channels:
Physical DL shared channel (PDSCH)
Physical UL shared channel (PUSCH)
Physical DL control channel (PDCCH)

Link adaptation adjusts the applicable modulation and coding scheme (MCS) for the shared
channels and the number of required CCEs for the PDCCH.

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9. AirScale BTS - 5G software upgrade and commissioning

To make a gNB fully operational, you need to upgrade its software, upload a site
commissioning file (SCF), and integrate a gNB to NetAct.

AirScale BTS - 5G installing and commissioning processes involves installation and

configuration of hardware and software. They take place with the help of:
BTS Rescue Console, which is used for initial installation of a gNB.
Web Element Manager (WebEM), which is used for gNB site management, including
commissioning, editing parameters, and validating configurations.

The classical gNB three-step start-up procedure comprises of:

gNB installation and manual software upgrade
gNB commissioning with a commissiong file provisioned either from NetAct or from
WebEM
gNB integration with NetAct

Figure 30: List of detailed steps needed for full gNB availability

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For more information, see Installing Software, Commissioning, and Integrating AirScale BTS -
5G.

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10. AirScale BTS - 5G operability

The system-level operations, administration, and maintenance (OAM) architecture
structures service quality, reliable performance capacity, and network neutrality.

Fault management
Fault management (FM) enables you to detect and locate failures in a network. As a result,
you can schedule the repairs and test the equipment to use the system in a desired
condition.

In AirScale BTS - 5G, Web Element Manager (WebEM) provides a user interface to view and
monitor faulty situations in the network. Additionally, NetAct supplies AirScale BTS - 5G with
FM functions. FM enables you to manage alarms coming from different network elements
(NEs) by detecting and troubleshooting faults caused by disruptions in network services. This
is possible thanks to monitoring and diagnostic tools present in all NEs.

For more information on FM, see 5GC000167: Fault Management General Flow and
Mechanism.

Performance management
Performance management (PM) is a class of software functions that enables you to monitor
and control infrastructure stacks and radio access services.

Through PM, you can gather and analyze performance metrics in the course of time,
forecast future demands, and identify abandoned or underused resources. The NetAct
reporter handles the primary workflow of PM. The main goal is to optimize the operation of
the network, which displays the following activities:
Verifying the physical and logical configuration of the telecommunication network.
Monitoring continuously the functionality of the network.
Localizing potential problems as early as possible.

Web Element Manager (WebEM) provides the user interface for PM configuration and allows
you to visualize the PM result data.

NetAct configures PM and collects PM result files via the NE3S interface.

For more information on PM, see:

5GC000165: Performance Management Generic Mechanism
Monitoring and Measuring System in 5G RAN

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PCMD and cell trace management

Per call measurement data (PCMD) provides per call statistics data that you can use for
troubleshooting or monitoring performance of the network. It's a summary of the UE
experience in the signaling, user plane (U-plane), and RF domains. Cell trace records contain
messages exchanged on X2 Application Protocol (X2AP) or Radio Resource Control (RRC)
protocol.

A gNB collects PCMD data fields and sends them to a trace collection entity (TCE) tool, which
in the case of Nokia is either Cognitive Analytics for Mobile Networks (CA4MN) or Data
Collection Analytics Platform (DCAP), through the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)
connection. The TCE creates the final PCMD or cell trace record. In a non-standalone (NSA)
mode, the TCE combines the PCMD and cell trace data provided by a gNB and an eNB to
aggregate and derive statistical data about each call.

For more information about PCMD and cell trace management, see 5GC000376: PCMD
Support for 5G NB.

Configuration management
Configuration management (CM) enables you to control a configuration of a system, that is,
to control a status of constituent parts and an identity of their allocation.

AirScale BTS - 5G configuration takes place either through NetAct Configurator or Web
Element Manager (WebEM).

NetAct Configurator provides support to all daily configuration and administration tasks
required to configure deployed network elements so that they work properly in a network
environment. NetAct Configurator allows you to:
create a configuration plan.
inspect the consistency of the configuration plan.
optimize gNB configuration data.
synchronize planning and actual gNB configuration data.

With WebEM, you can manage a single gNB by:

validating and uploading a site commissioning file (SCF).
configuring, modifying, validating, and activating parameters.
backing up the gNB configuration.

For more information on CM, see:

5GC000235: gNB Configuration Management from Web Element Manager

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WebEM User Guide

Software management
Software management comprises the following functions:
Software download and update
Software download progress supervision
Software activation
Software fallback and rollback
Software inventory notification

For more information, see 5GC001082: Classical gNB Software Management.

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11. Security in AirScale BTS - 5G

The AirScale BTS - 5G security solution provides you with reliable communication services
and ensures confidentiality and integrity of data that is sent, stored, and processed
within the 5G system.

Security overview
5G introduces new demanding network use cases that require a high level of automation in
security orchestration and management, as well as automated, analytics- and machine-
learning-based attack detection and mitigation.

There are several aspects of the 5G network security that are used to protect users and
networks against major security threats:
Access control ensures that only authorized personnel and devices can access the
network resources.
Authentication ensures that a person trying to access the system uses the credentials of
an authorized user.
Non-repudiation ensures that the system doesn't reject a particular action that is
performed by a specific user or a network device.
Data confidentiality protects information from disclosure to unauthorized parties. A key
component is encryption which ensures that only the right people can access
information. This is supported by Transport Layer Security (TLS) and Secure Shell (SSH).
Communication security ensures that data flows between the authorized endpoints
aren't diverted or intercepted.
Data integrity protects information from being modified by unauthorized parties. To
protect data integrity, you can use signed certificates when distributing public keys.
Availability ensures that authorized parties are able to access data when needed. You can
prevent the system from attacks on availability by performing data backups and
providing an external SSH service.
Privacy protects information which can be derived from observing network activities.

Security domains
The AirScale BTS - 5G security system is divided into five domains:
Air-link security
The air-link security domain defines access and non-access stratum security:
The purpose of access stratum security is to protect message delivery between the UE

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and a gNB in the control plane (C-plane) and user plane (U-plane). This is achieved
through integrity protection and ciphering of Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling in
the C-plane, and ciphering of IP packets in the U-plane.
The purpose of non-access stratum security is to protect the delivery of signaling
messages between the UE and a mobility management entity (MME) in the C-plane.
This is achieved through ciphering and integrity protection.
Transport security
The transport security domain explains the role of IPsec and TLS protocols in providing a
secure connection that offers confidentiality, integrity, and authentication. In AirScale
BTS - 5G, IPsec is used to secure data transport between a gNB and a security gateway
(SeGW), while TLS is used to secure a connection between a gNB and management tools,
for example, Web Element Manager (WebEM).
gNB security
The gNB security domain provides physical security to each AirScale BTS - 5G. It includes
application of firewall, traffic filtering, file encryption, and software verification within the
5G system.
User security
The user security domain describes a mechanism by which you can grant access to
AirScale BTS - 5G for a carefully selected group of users to execute specific tasks.
Certificate management
The certificate management domain defines the process of managing digital security
certificates, certificate types, and public key infrastructure (PKI) models supported within
the 5G system.

For more information on security, see the respective security-related functional area
descriptions and the Configuring Security in AirScale BTS - 5G document.

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