Abstract
Several key enabling techniques are introduced for next-generation wireless
communication systems. Small-cell and cloud-RAN systems have been considered as
promising solutions to meet the capacity demand of the future wireless access networks.
In addition, utilization of high radio frequency (e.g., millimeter-wave band) is another
dimension to expand the spectrum to enhance the throughput. From the network
perspective, a high capacity, low latency, and reliable backhaul/fronthaul network is
important to support the advanced wireless access techniques. Therefore,
microwave-photonics techniques can play an important role in the integrated
optical-wireless access systems for next-generation wireless communications. In this
paper, we first review several key features and enabling techniques for next-generation
5G wireless communications. Then, we introduce a multiservice small-cell wireless access
architecture based on microwave-photonics technologies (cloud radio-over-fiber
networks). By combining small-cell cloud-RAN concept with multiband delivery capability
in an integrated optical-wireless access system, the proposed architecture can realize
high-speed multiservice data transmission in a simplified and flexible way. An
in-building cloud radio-over-fiber testbed was demonstrated with real-time WiMAX
traffic. Two different approaches of delivering conventional services and future-proof
high-data-rate millimeter-wave services in a converged platform are also analyzed and
summarized.
© 2014 IEEE
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