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White paper

Liquid Radio
Let traffc waves fow
most effciently
Contents
2. Executive summary:
Reconstructing radio
access in a new way
3. Rising traffc volumes
and more demanding
customers
4. Network vision
5. Liquid Radio
6. New architectures
include compact radio
access points for
small cells
6. Highly effcient,
ultra-compact multi-
purpose hardware
platforms
7. Heterogeneous
networks and traffc
offoading
8. Baseband pooling
9. Coordinated Multipoint
Transmission (CoMP)
10. Active Antenna
Systems
10. Self-Organizing
Networks (SON)
11. Summary: A step up in
radio network effciency
2 Liquid Radio
GSM, HSPA or LTE Advanced, either
separately or concurrently. Furthermore,
Liquid Radio shares resources such
as baseband processing power across
a broad area of the network. It allows
radio coverage to fow to wherever
users need it. Liquid Radio also allows
communications service providers
(CSPs) to link 3GPP radio access
seamlessly with 802.11 Wi-Fi. End
users require high-speed, low-latency,
secure and reliable transparent network
connectivity. CSPs want to use their
existing investments and minimize new
expenditure while guaranteeing quality
of service (QoS) to their customers.
Liquid Radio improves network
effciency by boosting capacity with
beam steering, small cells and by
offoading. The high energy effciency
is the result of low power consumption
of the products, integration of RF to the
antenna to minimize RF losses and by
an adaptive and cognitive radio network
that can proactively align the active
cells in the network with user demand to
save energy.
Liquid Radio is the most advanced way
to address the challenges of evolving
radio access networks today while
preparing the network for the future. It
pushes network capacity with the latest
multi-radio, active antenna technology
and by unifying heterogeneous
networks with coordinated multi-point
transmission (CoMP) and award-
winning self-organizing network (SON)
functionalities. Liquid Radio boosts
effciency by simplifying network
operations and network utilization with
baseband pooling. It also enhances the
end user experience by optimizing the
connectivity between different network
layers, offoading traffc onto Wi-Fi, or
seamlessly blending HSPA+ and LTE.
Executive summary
Reconstructing radio access
in a new way

The popularity of tablets, smartphones
and mobile broadband connections
has contributed to an explosion in
data volumes in mobile networks.
Customers can enjoy high data
speeds on the move and value
the wide-area availability of quality
broadband connectivity. The pace
of traffc growth will continue to rise,
driven by ever higher penetration
of smartphones, new applications,
laptop connectivity and machine-to-
machine communication (M2M). New
design criteria are needed to develop
radio networks that can match these
broadband speeds and rising data
volumes. Network design must be
fexible enough to scale to meet the
demand of up to 1 GByte per user per
day and data rates beyond 1 Gbps.
The answer to this challenge is Nokia
Siemens Networks Liquid Radio.
Liquid Radio breaks up traditional
network architecture and provides a
far more fexible way to build radio
access networks. It allows macro cells
to be complemented with a layer of
small cells bringing added capacity
directly to end users. Available
frequency spectrum or existing
infrastructure can be used or re-used,
together or separately. The concept of
a traditional base station disappears.
Instead the radio can be hidden
behind active macro antennas on
rooftops or tucked into a small space
in any building.
Functionality is determined entirely by
software running on versatile, fexible
and scalable multi-purpose hardware.
The same hardware that supports
LTE software can equally well support
Traffc volumes in mobile networks
have increased tremendously in recent
years. Growth has been driven by the
popularity of USB modems for laptops
using mobile networks and the success
of smartphones and, more recently,
larger-screen, video-rich tablets, M2M
and in the next fve years the arrival
of the connected vehicle. At the same
time, evolving radio technology provides
ever higher data rates for customers.
The peak rate will increase from the frst
version of HSDPA at 1.8 Mbps to
LTE-Advanced offering 1 Gbps, and this
is driving further growth in data volumes.
Figure 1 shows that global mobile
Internet traffc will reach 43 Exabytes by
2015. So far, the growth has been driven
mainly by laptops, but the fastest relative
growth is now coming from handheld
smart devices and tablets.
Figure 2 illustrates typical traffc
behavior. Traffc peaks occur at different
times of the day depending on the area.
So business areas have high traffc
during the morning and afternoon while
residential areas experience peak traffc
during the evening.
This paper outlines the overall network
vision for supporting future traffc
requirements and how Nokia Siemens
Networks Liquid Radio fundamentally
redefnes the architecture of radio
access networks. By combining several
advanced technologies to increase
network quality and capacity that carry
higher traffc volumes more effciently,
Liquid Radio enabled networks will
deliver superior connectivity for
end users.
Rising traffc volumes and
more demanding customers
3 Liquid Radio
2100 MHz
2100 MHz
Handovers
between
LTE and HSPA
2100 MHz
10x
Global Mobile Traffic Forecast
A
n
n
u
a
l

t
r
a
f
f
i
c

(
P
B
)
25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
50,000
45,000
40,000
35,000
30,000
0
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Mobile voice (16kbps) Mobile tablet Mobile laptop Mobile handheld
Liquid Radio
Mobile Internet Traffic (ExaByte/year)
25
20
15
10
5
0
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Mobile Handheld
Mobile Laptop
Figure 1. Expected heavy growth of data volumes
2100 MHz
2100 MHz
Handovers
between
LTE and HSPA
2100 MHz
Business area
2am 4am 6am 8am 10am12am 2pm 4pm 6pm 8pm 10pm
Suburban area
2am 4am 6am 8am 10am12am 2pm 4pm 6pm 8pm 10pm
Residential area
2am 4am 6am 8am 10am12am 2pm 4pm 6pm 8pm 10pm
Figure 2. Capacity demand vs time of day is like a wave in modern networks
Future mobile networks need to be
more versatile in order to support
growing capacity and user data
rate requirements and incorporate
additional spectra as they become
available. The macro-cellular network
is the basis of current networks and
will remain the important component
of future networks. Macro network
capacity will be further enhanced to
make the most of existing base station
sites and available spectrum. New
spectrum allocations plus small cells
and advanced antenna solutions will
be exploited to provide increased
capacity and enhanced coverage,
especially at the cell edge.
Site solutions no longer need to exist
in their current format. The component
parts can be re-engineered, combined
in different ways and made far
more compact to ft easily into radio
access point installations. Baseband
processing power can be pooled and
shared across a large number of radio
access points and technologies. Multi-
standard user devices and intelligent,
software-defned and software-
controlled SONs will bring together
the component parts into a seamless
blend of connectivity that matches the
precise needs of the end user. One
fundamental driver for Liquid Radio is
that end users should neither need to
know nor care which air interface their
device is using; they will be offered
a seamless, high quality and high
speed connection using the best
available resource.
Small cells can provide additional
capacity and data rates that are
beyond macro-cellular capabilities.
Small cells include micro, pico,
Femto and Wi-Fi deployments. All the
different cell sizes can be deployed
selectively where traffc demand is
not being met by the macro layer.
The small cells and macro cells can
co-exist on the same frequency.
The macro layer gives ubiquitous
coverage, especially for high-speed
moving users, while smaller cells cater
to stationary and heavy users in dense
areas. Small cells can also use Wi-Fi
radio as a way of offoading traffc from
themacro layer. The end user will be
best connected using any or all of
the different cell layers and radio
technologies, coordinated by
network control.
The number of frequency bands
and radio access points is set
to increase by many orders of
magnitude. There will be access
points deployed by individual users or
to boost connectivity for businesses.
This increased complexity leads
to more challenging interference
scenarios. Network confguration and
optimization needs to be automated to
maximize radio network performance
and minimize network operating
cost. Indeed, in this multi-layer,
multi-purpose network vision, non-
automated systems would not be
practical or viable.
Optical fber will spread out to carry
the growing data volumes from the
radio access points to the Internet.
Optical fber also provides new options
for splitting network functionalities
between the local antenna and central
facilities, in both the macro and small
cell layers.
The main elements of network
evolution are illustrated in Figure 3 and
can be summarized as follows.
Macro networks will provide
ubiquitous umbrella coverage.
Macro cell capacity can be
enhanced with active antenna
beamforming and six-sector sites.
Selective small cell deployment
adds affordable capacity and speed
that can be activated dynamically
when needed.
Macro cells and small cells
interact seamlessly over the
same spectrum.
The network adjusts capacity
and coverage patterns to suit
instantaneous traffc requirements.
End users can be connected
seamlessly using multiple radio
technologies and advanced
network control.
Network operating costs decline
and network performance improves
thanks to increased automation.
Increased fexibility and agility will
be a fundamental requirement in
network deployments.
4 Liquid Radio
Release 5
2100 MHz
2100 MHz
2100 MHz
Handovers
between
LTE and HSPA
Passive RAN/ site
based sharing
Active RAN sharing
Passive RAN/ site
based sharing
Roaming based sharing Active RAN sharing
Roaming based sharing
MOBSS for GSM (dedicated frequencies)
MOCN for GSM (Shared spectrum)
MORAN for (I-) HSPA
(dedicated frequencies)
MOCN for (I-) HSPA (Shared spectrum)
MOCN for LTE
(Shared spectrum)
HLR MSS/SGSN/
GGSN/SAE/MME
Core Network and OSS
BSC/RNC
MOBSS/MOCN for GSM
MORAN/MOCN for 3G
GSM/3G/LTE
Radio Access Network
MOCN for LTE
Purple indicates
shared infrastructure
CSP A CSP B
Shared RAN with MOCN
MOCN enables sharing a
1+1+1 site for up to 4 CSPs
MOCN-UE selects CSP
autonomously
Legacy UE is routed by
RNC algorithm
F1 (CSP A & B)
In MORAN, each CSP keeps
own cells
Spectrum is not shared
More independence but
minimum base station config
is 2 frequencies, eg 2+2+2
F1, CSP A
Shared RAN with MORAN
F2, CSP B
CSP A
CSP B
F (CSP A & B)
20 MHz MME/SAE GW
MME/SAE GW
Shared RAN with MOCN
>5 GHz
3600 MHz
2600 MHz
2100 MHz
1800-1900 MHz
700-900 MHz
450 MHz
>5 GHz
3600 MHz
2600 MHz
2100 MHz
1800 - 1900 MHz
700 - 900 MHz
450 MHz
HSPA+
Femto
LTE
Femto
WiFi
HSPA+
TD-LTE
LTE
450 700-900 1800-1900 2100
MHz
2600 3600 >5 GHz
Figure 3. Future networks grow in complexity to include multiple layers, bands and standards
Network vision
matching the requirements
5 Liquid Radio
Nokia Siemens Networks Liquid
Radio is a network architecture built
using highly effcient, ultra-compact
multi-purpose hardware platforms,
in which functionality is determined
by software. These platforms are
linked by high-capacity, low-latency
transport networks in a non-
hierarchical, meshed architecture.
They will self-confgure to use the
available hardware, interconnects
and air interfaces in the best way.
Processing power can be pooled,
or shared, across multiple hardware
platforms and network layers, rather
than being dedicated to one location
or function.
Furthermore, these networks are
able to adapt dynamically and steer
capacity in line with demand.
They are also self-optimizing
and self-healing.
Liquid Radio paves the way for
software-defned networks, which
are a fundamental and natural step
forward for software-defned radio
capabilities. The Nokia Siemens
Networks term Liquid capacity
describes the ability to use the
available network capacity for
any purpose in any application,
wherever required.
This architecture is embodied in
Liquid Radio, which addresses the
ebb and fow of capacity demand
across a network and is built on
leading platforms, including the
Nokia Siemens Networks Flexi
family. This ensures a smooth
evolution for CSPs towards a more
modern technology while maintaining
backward compatibility with existing
systems. Liquid Radio is not a
disruptive technology that challenges
freshly deployed networks. Rather
it is the natural evolution of a
multi-standard platform that Nokia
Siemens Networks has designed
progressively, developing hardware,
Liquid radio
software and transport that is extremely
adaptable to meet the aggressively
demanding and evolving needs in
todays mobile broadband network.
The Liquid Radio vision is now a
reality, with the main elements and
technologies available for network
deployments in 2011.
The Nokia Siemens Networks Flexi
Multiradio family is the result of our
visionary R&D thought leadership and
execution in delivering commercially
available solutions that address the
needs of CSPs today and into the
future.
Flexi Multiradio 10 Base Station
(BTS) offers a high-capacity pool
or site solution featuring several
technologies (GSM, HSPA, LTE/
LTE-A) within one 25-liter baseband
module.
Advanced and proven System-
on-a-Chip (SoC) design enables
Concurrent Mode capabilities.
Flexi Lite Base Stations in an all-
in-one form factor for micro/pico
deployments.
Delivering unifed heterogeneous
network solutions that combine small
cells with the macro layer in a unifed
way, complemented with advanced
features (CoMP).
Smart WLAN connectivity that
provides integrated Wi-Fi offoad
mechanisms enabling CSPs to add
value to the connection with their
mobile core.
Baseband pooling delivering more
than 10 Gbps liquid capacity that can
be shared across 100 cells.
Coordinated multipoint transmission
(CoMP) capabilities in the baseband
pool enabling improved end user
experience and paving the way in
the network for this feature in R11.
The Flexi Race based on Nokia
Siemens Networks unique
understanding of building
commercially available active
antenna systems is representative
of our continuous advances in the
miniaturization of existing solutions,
making it the key building block for
next-generation base station form
factors.
Flexi Multiradio Antenna System
for Active Antenna offers beam
forming capabilities.
The Nokia Siemens Networks
integrated NetAct network
management and SON suite adds
the ultimate liquidity to multi-
technology networks.
The following sections describe in
more detail how these technologies
give CSPs a unique ability to enhance
the end user experience in the
industrys most cost-effective way.
New architectures include compact
radio access points for small cells
Liquid Radio splits up traditional
base station architecture and
allows radio coverage to be built by
combining elements in new ways. SoC
technology means that the RF and
power amplifers can be hidden behind
small cell antennas or stacked into
active antenna arrays providing active
(horizontal and vertical) beamforming.
Baseband processing can be pooled
across multiple cells and linked by
optical fber to the RF. Small cells
can also be connected with fber to
the macro baseband pool as shown
in Figure 4. Baseband can also be
appended to the RF and linked by
lower-quality high-speed transport
links to the core network. This vastly
extends the range of sites that can
be used for radio access points and
the range of transport media that can
be used. Any notions of street-side
cabinets, air-conditioning units,
moving fans, single points of failure,
dedicated hardware or capacity
being fully utilized only at peak times
disappears completely.
Liquid Radio creates a radio network
that seamlessly and dynamically
blends and steers:
Coverage and capacity using any
or all available spectrum
Macro cells above the roof tops
and small cells below the roof tops
All 3GPP with 802.11 Wi-Fi
technologies precisely matched to
user needs.
Highly effcient, ultra-compact
multi-purpose hardware platforms
The high hardware effciency delivered
by Flexi Multiradio 10 results from
advanced SoC technology. SoC
integrates multiple computer or other
electronic system components into
a single integrated circuit or chip. It
includes digital signal processing
(DSP) for maximum software fexibility,
combined with hardware acceleration
for computationally intensive
calculations. SoC architecture offers
new fexibility in designing highly
compact and scalable radio access
points, which enables multi-radio
implementation on a single platform.
Scalability is achieved simply by
adding more of these chips.
The same SoC design can be
adapted to small confgurations,
such as a mono-sector pico base
station for a few dozen users, to
large confgurations, such as a
baseband pool with hundreds of cells.
Furthermore, it enables networks to
use the same set of features for micro
cells or high-capacity baseband
pooling confgurations. This is a key
consideration for achieving simple
network maintenance and upgrades.
The use of SoC enables extremely
compact and scalable architecture
for modern base station design.
Nokia Siemens Networks has been
designing software-based fexible
solutions since the very frst WCDMA
deployments began 10 years ago,
providing unrivalled credibility
and experience.
The fexible design allows networks
to use the same hardware for running
any radio technology GSM, HSPA,
LTE or LTE-Advanced requiring
only different software uploads. The
concurrent mode enables two or more
standards to run at the same time on
the same hardware, thus making the
migration between the technologies
easy and simple. The high level of
integration can provide more than
10 Gbps of processing power, which
can process a large number of high
capacity cells. Figure 5 illustrates the
main benefts of the Flexi Multiradio 10
base station.
The Flexi Multiradio 10s SoC-based
design and extremely compact form
provide liquid capacity whenever
and wherever in the network users
demand it.
6 Liquid Radio
Release 5
2100 MHz
2100 MHz
2100 MHz
Handovers
between
LTE and HSPA
Passive RAN/ site
based sharing
Active RAN sharing
Passive RAN/ site
based sharing
Roaming based sharing Active RAN sharing
Roaming based sharing
MOBSS for GSM (dedicated frequencies)
MOCN for GSM (Shared spectrum)
MORAN for (I-) HSPA
(dedicated frequencies)
MOCN for (I-) HSPA (Shared spectrum)
MOCN for LTE
(Shared spectrum)
HLR MSS/SGSN/
GGSN/SAE/MME
Core Network and OSS
BSC/RNC
MOBSS/MOCN for GSM
MORAN/MOCN for 3G
GSM/3G/LTE
Radio Access Network
MOCN for LTE
Purple indicates
shared infrastructure
CSP A CSP B
Shared RAN with MOCN
MOCN enables sharing a
1+1+1 site for up to 4 CSPs
MOCN-UE selects CSP
autonomously
Legacy UE is routed by
RNC algorithm
F1 (CSP A & B)
In MORAN, each CSP keeps
own cells
Spectrum is not shared
More independence but
minimum base station config
is 2 frequencies, eg 2+2+2
F1, CSP A
Shared RAN with MORAN
F2, CSP B
CSP A
CSP B
F (CSP A & B)
20 MHz MME/SAE GW
MME/SAE GW
Shared RAN with MOCN
Macro baseband
Fiber Fiber
Small RF Small RF
Figure 4. Connecting new small cells into
macro baseband pool
Release 5
2100 MHz
2100 MHz
2100 MHz
Handovers
between
LTE and HSPA
Passive RAN/ site
based sharing
Active RAN sharing
Passive RAN/ site
based sharing
Roaming based sharing Active RAN sharing
Roaming based sharing
MOBSS for GSM (dedicated frequencies)
MOCN for GSM (Shared spectrum)
MORAN for (I-) HSPA
(dedicated frequencies)
MOCN for (I-) HSPA (Shared spectrum)
MOCN for LTE
(Shared spectrum)
HLR MSS/SGSN/
GGSN/SAE/MME
Core Network and OSS
BSC/RNC
MOBSS/MOCN for GSM
MORAN/MOCN for 3G
GSM/3G/LTE
Radio Access Network
MOCN for LTE
Purple indicates
shared infrastructure
CSP A CSP B
Shared RAN with MOCN
MOCN enables sharing a
1+1+1 site for up to 4 CSPs
MOCN-UE selects CSP
autonomously
Legacy UE is routed by
RNC algorithm
F1 (CSP A & B)
In MORAN, each CSP keeps
own cells
Spectrum is not shared
More independence but
minimum base station config
is 2 frequencies, eg 2+2+2
F1, CSP A
Shared RAN with MORAN
F2, CSP B
CSP A
CSP B
F (CSP A & B)
20 MHz MME/SAE GW
MME/SAE GW
Shared RAN with MOCN
Wide area (>300m)
Hot spots (10-100m)
Medium area (100-300m)
Indoor (<10m)
10x more site capacity Software defined radio
Very high capacity Third generation System-on-Chip
(SoC) technology
Figure 5. Flexi Multiradio 10 Base Station offers a high-capacity solution featuring several
technologies and deploys System-on-a-Chip (SoC) technology for huge scalability
Heterogeneous networks
and traffc offoading
Mobile network traffc is increasing
faster than the amount of available
spectrum and macro cell spectral
effciency combined. Even the most
advanced active antenna solutions
and the combination of MIMO and
beamforming from macro sites will not
deliver enough capacity. The addition
of a large number of small cells can
provide a major boost in capacity.
Macro cells provide ubiquitous
coverage while small cells provide
high capacity in specifc areas. The
two solutions are complementary in
heterogeneous networks, where they
operate on the same frequency with
the help of interference mitigation
and coordination capabilities.
Heterogeneous multi-radio access
allows users to move between
networks and geographical areas while
still being able to access their services
and enjoy uninterrupted coverage.
Heterogeneous multi-radio access
ties CSP network access offerings
together and capitalizes on network
interoperability. For CSPs looking for
cost optimizations, heterogeneous
multi-radio access makes effcient use
of existing network investments via
intelligent mobility control.
This complex combination of cells
and layers requires smart optimization
and network management solutions.
Network confguration and optimization
must be automatic, as it is in the Nokia
Siemens Networks integrated NetAct
network management and SON Suite.
Nokia Siemens Networks leadership
in this area was recently recognized
with an LTE Award for our SON Suite at
the Amsterdam LTE summit 2011. We
are extending this leadership further
with even more advanced intelligent
distributed interference management
and fexible low-cost front-haul and
backhaul solutions to address the
requirements of small cell deployments.
The Nokia Siemens Networks Smart
WLAN connectivity solution is the ideal
complement, enabling integrated Wi-Fi
offoad. It offers CSP-controllable traffc
offoading to WLAN networks using
standard interfaces. The concept of
heterogeneous networks is shown in
Figure 6.
The typical power of an outdoor micro
or pico cell is up to 10W. This provides
clear areas of dominance and good
outdoor-to-indoor signal penetration.
A Femto cell can be used in homes or
in enterprise premises with an output
power typically less than 0.25W. The
resource use between macro cells and
small cells should be coordinated to
get the maximum beneft from small
cell deployment. Macro and small
cells use the same frequency and the
coordination happens both in time and
in the power domain. Liquid Radio
provides solutions for coordination
between the cell layers.
Smart WLAN connectivity uses
server and client software to guide the
terminal to the WLAN when needed or
desired by the CSP. WLAN offoading
is a viable and practical option since
most smart devices, tablets and
laptops are supplied with built-in WLAN
capability and conform to the ANDSF
standards, which allow controlled-
access switching. For CSPs there
are two operational modes of Smart
WLAN, either directly to the Internet or
through the mobile packet core. Many
CSPs prefer the latter, with the ability
to bundle together additional features
in the WLAN offering such as device
management, authentication and
accounting. This enables the ability to
add value to the end user experience,
leveraging existing mobile network
functionality such as QoS, security,
policy enforcement and mobility,
even when end-users are switched
to WLAN, by integrating WLAN
access into the existing mobile core
network. An overview of Smart WLAN
connectivity is shown in Figure 7.
7 Liquid Radio
Release 5
2100 MHz
2100 MHz
2100 MHz
Handovers
between
LTE and HSPA
Passive RAN/ site
based sharing
Active RAN sharing
Passive RAN/ site
based sharing
Roaming based sharing Active RAN sharing
Roaming based sharing
MOBSS for GSM (dedicated frequencies)
MOCN for GSM (Shared spectrum)
MORAN for (I-) HSPA
(dedicated frequencies)
MOCN for (I-) HSPA (Shared spectrum)
MOCN for LTE
(Shared spectrum)
HLR MSS/SGSN/
GGSN/SAE/MME
Core Network and OSS
BSC/RNC
MOBSS/MOCN for GSM
MORAN/MOCN for 3G
GSM/3G/LTE
Radio Access Network
MOCN for LTE
Purple indicates
shared infrastructure
CSP A CSP B
Shared RAN with MOCN
MOCN enables sharing a
1+1+1 site for up to 4 CSPs
MOCN-UE selects CSP
autonomously
Legacy UE is routed by
RNC algorithm
F1 (CSP A & B)
In MORAN, each CSP keeps
own cells
Spectrum is not shared
More independence but
minimum base station config
is 2 frequencies, eg 2+2+2
F1, CSP A
Shared RAN with MORAN
F2, CSP B
CSP A
CSP B
F (CSP A & B)
20 MHz MME/SAE GW
MME/SAE GW
Shared RAN with MOCN
Hot spots (10-100m) Wide area (>300m)
Medium area (100-300m)
Indoor (<10m)
Release 5
2100 MHz
2100 MHz
2100 MHz
Handovers
between
LTE and HSPA
Passive RAN/ site
based sharing
Active RAN sharing
Passive RAN/ site
based sharing
Roaming based sharing Active RAN sharing
Roaming based sharing
MOBSS for GSM (dedicated frequencies)
MOCN for GSM (Shared spectrum)
MORAN for (I-) HSPA
(dedicated frequencies)
MOCN for (I-) HSPA (Shared spectrum)
MOCN for LTE
(Shared spectrum)
HLR MSS/SGSN/
GGSN/SAE/MME
Core Network and OSS
BSC/RNC
MOBSS/MOCN for GSM
MORAN/MOCN for 3G
GSM/3G/LTE
Radio Access Network
MOCN for LTE
Purple indicates
shared infrastructure
CSP A CSP B
Shared RAN with MOCN
MOCN enables sharing a
1+1+1 site for up to 4 CSPs
MOCN-UE selects CSP
autonomously
Legacy UE is routed by
RNC algorithm
F1 (CSP A & B)
In MORAN, each CSP keeps
own cells
Spectrum is not shared
More independence but
minimum base station config
is 2 frequencies, eg 2+2+2
F1, CSP A
Shared RAN with MORAN
F2, CSP B
CSP A
CSP B
F (CSP A & B)
20 MHz MME/SAE GW
MME/SAE GW
Shared RAN with MOCN
PS services
Services
Mobile core
Mobile
network
WLAN
Machine-to-machine
Internet
Mobile Core
Services
PS services
Mobile
network
WLAN
Internet
Figure 7. Smart WLAN connectivity
Figure 6. Heterogeneous networks
8 Liquid Radio
The complexity of managing
heterogeneous networks will increase
considerably compared to typical
current networks with only two layers:
HSPA for data and voice and GSM
mainly for voice. That complexity is
reduced drastically by ad-hoc SON
features, which handle traffc steering
across different layers, as well as
interference/handover optimization.
All the SON elements combine with
a portfolio of high-capacity macro
solutions and small cells to enable
heterogeneous networks to work in a
unifed way. They hide the underlying
complexity of multi-sized cells, multiple
bands and multiple technologies from
subscribers and simplify operations
and maintenance for CSPs. The
adaptable, liquid aspect derives from
the ability to manage these highly
complex networks in a simple, unifed
way. For instance, the OPEX related to
energy consumption can be minimized
by automatically switching off network
layers in low load situations, such as
during the night.
Baseband pooling
High-capacity, modular base stations
allow signal processing power to be
shared between multiple cells in a
concept called baseband pooling.
The baseband pool can be connected
to RF transceivers remotely via fber
optics. This is in contrast with a more
conventional distributed architecture,
which co-locates each RF transceiver
and its associated signal processing on
the same site. The change is possible
thanks to the increasing availability of
fber connections to carry the baseband
signals. The architecture options are
illustrated in Figure 8.
The optimum solution depends on a
trade-off between the costs of installing
the fber that enables baseband pooling
and the costs of adding baseband
processing capacity to sites where fber
is not installed. Co-located baseband
and RF transceivers enable a wider
range of backhaul solutions to be used,
such as microwave or cable links.
Fiber connections between the RF
and baseband are recommended to
be limited to a few tens of kilometers
in order to provide the sub-millisecond
latency needed to achieve the
highest LTE speeds and maximize
the effciency of the radio resource
management scheduler.
One possible deployment scenario
might be to piggyback fber-connected
small cells comprising only the RF
and antenna on top of an existing
macro site that already has baseband
capacity and traditional transport links.
This option enables resources to be
coordinated between the macro and
small cells in an optimal way.
The criteria for choosing the
transmission technology would mainly
be cost, latency and capacity. The best
choices are therefore likely to be either
direct point-to-point connections or
passive CWDM (Coarse Wavelength
Division Multiplexing) connectivity.
Release 5
2100 MHz
2100 MHz
2100 MHz
Handovers
between
LTE and HSPA
Passive RAN/ site
based sharing
Active RAN sharing
Passive RAN/ site
based sharing
Roaming based sharing Active RAN sharing
Roaming based sharing
MOBSS for GSM (dedicated frequencies)
MOCN for GSM (Shared spectrum)
MORAN for (I-) HSPA
(dedicated frequencies)
MOCN for (I-) HSPA (Shared spectrum)
MOCN for LTE
(Shared spectrum)
HLR MSS/SGSN/
GGSN/SAE/MME
Core Network and OSS
BSC/RNC
MOBSS/MOCN for GSM
MORAN/MOCN for 3G
GSM/3G/LTE
Radio Access Network
MOCN for LTE
Purple indicates
shared infrastructure
CSP A CSP B
Shared RAN with MOCN
MOCN enables sharing a
1+1+1 site for up to 4 CSPs
MOCN-UE selects CSP
autonomously
Legacy UE is routed by
RNC algorithm
F1 (CSP A & B)
In MORAN, each CSP keeps
own cells
Spectrum is not shared
More independence but
minimum base station config
is 2 frequencies, eg 2+2+2
F1, CSP A
Shared RAN with MORAN
F2, CSP B
CSP A
CSP B
F (CSP A & B)
20 MHz MME/SAE GW
MME/SAE GW
Shared RAN with MOCN
Internet
Mobile Core
Services
PS services
Mobile
network
WLAN
Distributed baseband processing
RF
BB
RF
BB
RF
BB
RF
BB
Centralized baseband processing
RF RF
RF RF
BB
BB
BB
BB
Figure 8. Distributed baseband (BB) processing and Centralized BB processing
9 Liquid Radio
Centralized baseband can save a
substantial amount of baseband
processing resources. Figure 9
illustrates the main factors contributing
to gains from pooling, namely unequal
traffc distribution between the cells
and the unequal data rate across the
cell due to inter-cell interference.
Baseband pooling is an effcient
way to enhance network utilization
using liquid capacity redistribution.
This gives CSPs a better return
on investment. A full-scale
implementation of baseband pooling
also requires changes in the traditional
business model and makes it even
more attractive to explore how
managed services might be deployed
to control costs.
Coordinated Multipoint
Transmission (CoMP)
LTE Release 8 is based on a
distributed network architecture
where the data is transmitted to the
terminal via one cell at a time. The
other cell signals are just interference
that makes signal reception more
challenging. The CoMP concept is
based on the idea that multiple cells
can transmit data to a single terminal
with optimized multi-antenna beams.
The main beneft of CoMP is improved
cell edge data rates, which provides
more consistent radio performance for
users. The CoMP concept is illustrated
in Figure 10.
CoMP is currently in 3GPP
standardization and is likely to become
part of LTE Release 11. Coordinating
transmissions from multiple base
stations has great potential for Liquid
Radio baseband pooling using the
Flexi Multiradio 10 Base station. The
fexible Nokia Siemens Networks
solution also scales from full intra-site
CoMP with light inter-site CoMP
using low-cost backhaul methods right
up to full CoMP clusters with large-
scale fber distribution.
Release 5
2100 MHz
2100 MHz
2100 MHz
Handovers
between
LTE and HSPA
Passive RAN/ site
based sharing
Active RAN sharing
Passive RAN/ site
based sharing
Roaming based sharing Active RAN sharing
Roaming based sharing
MOBSS for GSM (dedicated frequencies)
MOCN for GSM (Shared spectrum)
MORAN for (I-) HSPA
(dedicated frequencies)
MOCN for (I-) HSPA (Shared spectrum)
MOCN for LTE
(Shared spectrum)
HLR MSS/SGSN/
GGSN/SAE/MME
Core Network and OSS
BSC/RNC
MOBSS/MOCN for GSM
MORAN/MOCN for 3G
GSM/3G/LTE
Radio Access Network
MOCN for LTE
Unequal traffic
distribution between cells
Unequal data rate across
the cell due to inter-cell
interference
CSP A CSP B
Shared RAN with MOCN
MOCN enables sharing a
1+1+1 site for up to 4 CSPs
MOCN-UE selects CSP
autonomously
Legacy UE is routed by
RNC algorithm
F1 (CSP A & B)
In MORAN, each CSP keeps
own cells
Spectrum is not shared
More independence but
minimum base station config
is 2 frequencies, eg 2+2+2
F1, CSP A
Shared RAN with MORAN
F2, CSP B
CSP A
CSP B
F (CSP A & B)
20 MHz MME/SAE GW
MME/SAE GW
Shared RAN with MOCN
Machine-to-machine
Internet
Mobile Core
Services
PS services
Mobile
network
WLAN
Unequal traffic
distribution between
cells
Unequal data rate
across the cell due to
inter -cell interference
Average baseband utilization is just a fraction of the
peak data rate requirement
Average baseband utilization is just a fraction
of the peak data rate requirement
Figure 9. Baseband pooling gains
Release 5
2100 MHz
2100 MHz
2100 MHz
Handovers
between
LTE and HSPA
Passive RAN/ site
based sharing
Active RAN sharing
Passive RAN/ site
based sharing
Roaming based sharing Active RAN sharing
Roaming based sharing
MOBSS for GSM (dedicated frequencies)
MOCN for GSM (Shared spectrum)
MORAN for (I-) HSPA
(dedicated frequencies)
MOCN for (I-) HSPA (Shared spectrum)
MOCN for LTE
(Shared spectrum)
HLR MSS/SGSN/
GGSN/SAE/MME
Core Network and OSS
BSC/RNC
MOBSS/MOCN for GSM
MORAN/MOCN for 3G
GSM/3G/LTE
Radio Access Network
MOCN for LTE
Purple indicates
shared infrastructure
CSP A CSP B
Shared RAN with MOCN
MOCN enables sharing a
1+1+1 site for up to 4 CSPs
MOCN-UE selects CSP
autonomously
Legacy UE is routed by
RNC algorithm
F1 (CSP A & B)
In MORAN, each CSP keeps
own cells
Spectrum is not shared
More independence but
minimum base station config
is 2 frequencies, eg 2+2+2
F1, CSP A
Shared RAN with MORAN
F2, CSP B
CSP A
CSP B
F (CSP A & B)
20 MHz MME/SAE GW
MME/SAE GW
Shared RAN with MOCN
Machine-to-machine
No CoMP
CoMP
Unequal data rate across
the cell due to inter-cell
interference
Signal Interference
Interference
Signal
Signal
Signal
Figure 10. Coordinated multipoint transmission
10 Liquid Radio
Active Antenna Systems
The traditional base station solution
uses passive antennas connected
via thick (and lossy) RF cables to the
cabinet containing the RF modules
and baseband processing. The more
recent remote radio head (RRH) or
antenna-integrated radio designs
place the RF module next to the
passive antenna to reduce cable
losses. The ultimate solution integrates
RF components directly into the
antenna. This is not just an RF head
in the same housing as the passive
antenna. An active antenna comprises
many RF elements distributed inside
an antenna array together with a
common control unit that steers and
shapes the beam.
The active antenna provides two
major benefts. The small RF units
can be independently steered to
create dynamic beams that improve
network capacity. The Nokia Siemens
Networks Flexi Multiradio Antenna
the active antenna - can deliver
up to 65% more capacity, together
with better coverage and higher data
rates. The other beneft is compact
site solution. The need for a traditional
base station to be installed on a site
disappears and is replaced by an
antenna. All it then needs is a power
connection and a fber connection
to the centralized baseband or a
variety of data connection types to
decentralized baseband. Furthermore,
3GPP Release 10 supports in-band or
out-of-band self-backhauling, which
offers the possibility of a relay radio
access point that requires nothing
more than a power connection. A local
renewable energy source could even
be used.
SON support for active antenna
allows dynamic steering of the
beam to exactly where needed, thus
distributing capacity precisely to where
and when users need it.
Self-Organizing
Networks (SON)
SON is an industry standard term for
managing network capacity in LTE,
HSPA and GSM networks. Nokia
Siemens Networks integrated NetAct
management system and SON
capabilities have been optimized for
managing the Liquid capacity in
heterogeneous networks and that
includes our active antenna solutions.
Our SON solution comprises three
building blocks: self-confguration,
self-optimization and self-healing.
Self-confguration automates the
integration of a new radio access
point into the network by auto
connection and auto confguration.
After installation, self-optimization
tunes the network with the help of
end-user device and base station
measurements. This is different from
self-planning, which is a dynamic
re-computation of the network plan
following changes in capacity, traffc
monitoring or optimization.
In our CSP operational networks,
self-healing supports the automatic
detection, location and solution of
issues. At its most advanced it can
even be predictive and fx problems
before any alarms are triggered.
The increased automation in Nokia
Siemens Networks SON removes the
need for people to deal with repetitive,
manual tasks and frees them to
focus at a higher level on jobs such
as monitoring and designing workfow
policies. Jobs that are performed
manually today will be carried out
in a closed loop in order to test that
designed policies are functioning
properly.
SON is also a cornerstone of cognitive
networks, which have the capacity for
self-analysis. They are context-aware
and able to learn and tune the network
automatically - and proactively - for
optimal performance. Nokia Siemens
Networks R&D is actively addressing
the future needs of cognitive networks
today - addressing cognitive radio
requirements and broader topics such
as content delivery networks, traffc
management, and extending our
demonstrated leadership with our Flexi
family of mobile broadband solutions
in reducing energy optimizing network
utilization.
Release 5
2100 MHz
2100 MHz
2100 MHz
Handovers
between
LTE and HSPA
Passive RAN/ site
based sharing
Active RAN sharing
Passive RAN/ site
based sharing
Roaming based sharing Active RAN sharing
Roaming based sharing
MOBSS for GSM (dedicated frequencies)
MOCN for GSM (Shared spectrum)
MORAN for (I-) HSPA
(dedicated frequencies)
MOCN for (I-) HSPA (Shared spectrum)
MOCN for LTE
(Shared spectrum)
HLR MSS/SGSN/
GGSN/SAE/MME
Core Network and OSS
BSC/RNC
MOBSS/MOCN for GSM
MORAN/MOCN for 3G
GSM/3G/LTE
Radio Access Network
MOCN for LTE
Purple indicates
shared infrastructure
CSP A CSP B
Shared RAN with MOCN
MOCN enables sharing a
1+1+1 site for up to 4 CSPs
MOCN-UE selects CSP
autonomously
Legacy UE is routed by
RNC algorithm
F1 (CSP A & B)
In MORAN, each CSP keeps
own cells
Spectrum is not shared
More independence but
minimum base station config
is 2 frequencies, eg 2+2+2
F1, CSP A
Shared RAN with MORAN
F2, CSP B
CSP A
CSP B
F (CSP A & B)
20 MHz MME/SAE GW
MME/SAE GW
Shared RAN with MOCN
Machine-to-machine
Internet
Mobile Core
Services
PS services
Mobile
network
WLAN
RF
BB
RF
BB
RF
BB
RF
BB
Unequal data rate across
the cell due to inter-cell
interference
TRX
TRX
TRX
TRX
TRX
TRX
TRX
TRX
Figure 11. Beamforming with active antenna
11 Liquid Radio
Summary: A step up in
radio network effciency
Nokia Siemens Networks Liquid Radio
redefnes how radio networks are built.
The limitations of the traditional base
station architecture are eliminated
and new options open up, such as
mixing small cells with the macro layer,
seamlessly combining technologies,
deploying radio access points in
previously impossible locations,
sharing network resources and
developing software-defned networks.
Liquid Radio combines the benefts
of multiple advanced technologies,
which are not just a vision but are
commercially available now. These
include the Flexi Multiradio 10 Base
Station, small cell products such as
the Flexi Lite Base Station, the Flexi
Multiradio Active Antenna System,
the revolutionary Flexi Race, the SON
Suite and Smart WLAN connectivity.
More enablers will be added to the
portfolio to ensure that CSPs can
combine solutions to best ft their
evolving networks and traffc demand.
Nokia Siemens Networks Liquid Radio
pushes radio network effciency to
the next level, enabling cost-effcient
delivery of 1 GByte average daily
subscriber traffc. It can provide
the best end-user experience by
managing terminal connectivity in
a multi-layer, multi-technology and
entirely software-defned network.
Nokia Siemens Networks has
the portfolio of products, tools
and competence to manage
increasing network complexity and
share and utilize all the capacity of
deployed hardware in a highly fexible
- liquid - way.
Liquid Radio redefnes radio network
architecture, allowing capacity,
coverage and services to fow to
meet mobile broadband user needs
wherever they go, whenever they
need it.
Abbreviations
3GPP Third Generation Partnership Project
ANDSF Access Network Discovery
and Selection Function
BB Baseband
BTS Base Transceiver Station
CoMP Co-ordinated Multipoint
CSP Communications service provider
CWDM Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing
GSM Global System for
Mobile communications
HSDPA High Speed Downlink Packet Access
HSPA High Speed Packet Access
LTE Long Term Evolution
M2M Machine-to-machine
MIMO Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output
OPEX Operational expenditure
QoS Quality of Service
RF Radio Frequency
RRH Remote Radio Head
SON Self-Organizing Networks
SoC System-on-a-Chip
USB Universal serial bus
WLAN Wireless Local Area Network
WCDMA Wideband Code Division Multiple Access
Nokia Siemens Networks Corporation
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