Nokia White paper

June 2014

Single RAN Advanced

Evolution: The future
just got simpler

CONTENTS

Executive summary

Power through efficiency

An evolving technology

The evolution of Single RAN

How Single RAN helps to meet

the capacity challenge

Modular design

Re-farming

10

RF sharing

11

Baseband (system module) sharing

12

Baseband pooling

13

Transport sharing in backhaul

14

Network sharing

15

Single RAN base station architecture evolution

16

Multicontroller

17

Single RAN Operations and Management

19

Energy efficiency

21

Nokia Single RAN Advanced

23

Nokia Flexi Multiradio 10 Base Station

23

Nokia Flexi Compact Base Station

23

Nokia Single RAN Transport solution

24

Nokia Multicontroller platform

25

Nokia Liquid Radio Software Suites

25

True control over complex networks

26

Abbreviations

27

Page 2

Executive summary
The concept and the commercial reality of the Single Radio Access
Network (Single RAN) have been around for a few years. Yet such is the
potential of the technology to simplify the ever-growing intricacy of
the macro radio access layer that it is being developed rapidly and will
bring many new benefits for mobile broadband operators.
The idea behind Single RAN is simple operating different radio
technologies on a single multi-purpose hardware platform. In its most
developed form, Single RAN will comprise one radio installation with
common transport and operational and management system with
integrated unified security across radio access technologies (RATs). In
addition, it enables the coordination and operation of different RATs
in a unified way, as well as being able to use existing RATs to bring the
best performance by coordinating their advantages.
Modularity is a key enabler, allowing capacity to be scaled up in
line with demand, and new and existing spectrum to be used more
efficiently. In addition, operational efficiency can be improved through
network sharing, energy efficiency of the radio network will be raised,
and software can be used to define the functions of the hardware for
ultimate flexibility, performance and cost effectiveness.
Single RAN is already helping many operators to achieve substantial
benefits but the coming years will see the technology evolving
substantially. When it comes to Single RAN, the best is yet to come.
The pace of change in mobile radio access networks has been
accelerating since the first GSM radio networks in 1991 and the first
Single RAN implementations in 2008. This paper aims to demonstrate
the benefits of todays Nokia Single RAN Advanced solution and to
reveal some of the expected developments and their benefits.

Page 3

Power through efficiency

Despite its widespread adoption, Single RAN defies a common
definition. Single RAN is not standardized by an industry body, and
equipment vendors offer different features under the Single RAN
banner, some based on 3GPP standards, with others being proprietary.
Operators typically expect Single RAN to deliver a variety of
benefits, including:
Efficient use of spectrum and re-farming
Efficient shared use of hardware
Smooth evolution of GSM, HSPA and LTE
Simplified network architecture
Reduced energy consumption
Converged planning, operations and management
Simplified, fully IP-based transport
Automated 3GPP compliant security
Lower costs and growth in top line
All of these benefits are possible, in re-farming, sharing,
modernization and evolution, enabling operators to simplify their
networks, reduce costs, grow their business and balance their
investments more easily and in better ways.
LTE
2600
LTE
2300
HSPA
2100
WCDMA 2100
GSM 1800
GSM 900

1Gbps@day

New equipment and

networks increasing
complexity and costs

LTE 1800
GSM 1800
HSPA 900
GSM 900

Uncertainty in Radio Access

Technology capacity lifecycles

LTE 800

Fig. 1: Example of the rising complexity of multiple radio access technologies, on many frequency bands,
potentially pushing up costs and complicating investment decisions

Page 4

An evolving technology
Although Single RAN has its roots in 2008 and is today simplifying
many radio access networks, the technology is clearly still far from
maturity and will evolve further to deliver substantial new benefits
for operators.
Single RAN is focused on simplifying the macro network resulting in
lower cost network evolution. Thats becoming increasingly important
as operators deploy LTE to meet the accelerating mobile broadband
boom. It is arguable that LTE was the main trigger for Single RAN as
the industry recognized the sheer complexity of adding another radio
technology to existing GSM and HSPA layers. Not only is a new radio
technology involved, along with a raft of new frequency bands, but
IP-based transport needed for LTE must be added to existing ATM
and TDM transport links.
Single RAN cuts through the complexity by running different
technologies on one hardware platform, to move from separate
installations for each radio technology with its own transport and
operational needs, to single installations with a common transport
and operational and management system.
Old way of working
Vendor A
GSM BTS

TDM

O&M A

Single RAN

Vendor B

Vendor C

WCDMA BTS

ATM

O&M B

Region 1

LTE BTS

IP

O&M C

Base Station

Base Station
GSM

WCDMA

O&M A

Region 1
Vendor A

LTE

GSM

IP

WCDMA

LTE

O&M B

Region 2
Vendor B

Fig. 2: Single RAN is changing network business by introducing much-simplified base station site structures
with common transport and operational support

Page 5

This sounds straightforward, but is actually technically complex

to achieve because GSM, HSPA and LTE are distinct technologies,
developed independently and standardized separately. Features
available in one technology may not be available or applicable for the
others. In addition, operators expect that the Single RAN products
available since 2008 can be re-used with the latest equipment,
for example for Re-farming and RF-sharing. This means all three
technologies need to be developed in parallel with strong backwards
compatibility to maximize the benefits of Single RAN.
Security threats are growing as operators move to all-IP networks,
which require dedicated measures to protect both the infrastructure
and end users. There are several sources of security risk, as networks
evolve to all-IP open environments and become vulnerable to the
kind of attacks familiar from the IT world. As a fully IP technology, LTE
creates vulnerabilities not previously seen in GSM and HSPA networks.
The use of IP transport networks for the backhaul, which are inherently
more open than traditional transport networks, means that customer
data needs to be protected against eavesdropping. Operator networks
must be secured against misuse and other threats, such as denial of
service attacks, between the base station and packet core. In addition,
modern technology and miniaturization enables smaller base stations
to be installed in public places, physically accessible to unauthorized
tampering. Another issue is the involvement of diverse players like
application developers and value added service providers, which also
leads to higher and more complex security risks.
Today, Single RAN has overcome many obstacles to create
much-simplified hardware. In the future we will see that
simplification being applied to the software to bring greater
flexibility to network operations. Coordination of RATs will bring
performance enhancements to the end user and cost savings for
the operator. This will not happen overnight. Radio access network
projects are huge and in much the same way that Single RAN has
taken several years since 2008 to reach its current state of
development and implementation by hundreds of operators, we
can expect its further evolution to take place step-by-step over the
coming years.
Nokia Single RAN Advanced solution is adopted worldwide
The trend towards Single RAN by operators is global. Of the 450
operators in about 150 countries using radio network equipment
from Nokia, close 300 use the companys Single RAN solution.

Page 6

The evolution of Single RAN

Single RAN is all about sharing multi-purpose hardware, with
functionality determined by shared software, and common Operations
and Management, transport, and network performance optimization
and configuration. The evolution of more advanced Single RAN
capabilities will develop these sharing capabilities to simplify network
management and bring greater flexibility, scalability and resiliency for
mobile broadband operators.
Nokia expects that by 2020, mobile networks will need to be prepared
for profitably delivering one gigabyte (1GB) of personalized data per
user per day in many markets. Thats a 60-fold increase in total data
consumption compared to today. In addition, operators face rising
customer expectations that mobile broadband will become more
personalized, yet remain affordable.
Technology Vision 2020
The Nokia Technology Vision 2020 focuses on enabling mobile
broadband networks to profitably deliver 1 gigabyte of personalized
data per user per day by 2020.
Technology Vision 2020 comprises six technology pillars:
Enabling 1000 times more capacity to meet accelerating
data demand
Reducing latency to milliseconds to prepare for the applications
of the future
Teaching networks to be self-aware and simplify network
management by extreme automation
Personalizing network experience to enable the business models
of the future
Reinventing telco for the cloud to create on-demand networks
that are agile and scalable
Flattening total energy consumption

Single RAN technologies will continue to evolve to help operators

meet these market demands. Key developments are likely to include
advanced re-farming for more efficient use of shared spectrum,
common network management incorporating self-organizing
functions, integrated and unified security across base station
technologies, and improved resource sharing and pooling and
higher resiliency.

Page 7

How Single RAN helps to meet the

capacity challenge
Single RAN will have a key role in helping operators to meet the
expected 1,000-fold increase in data traffic by providing a clear path
for adding macro capacity step-by-step.
Typically, operators will have legacy GSM and HSPA base stations and
are planning to roll out, or are already rolling out, LTE base stations
as well. One of the benefits of Single RAN is that legacy base station
equipment can be re-used, for example an existing GSM RF module
can be re-used in re-farming by GSM-LTE RF sharing, which enables
operators to avoid adding LTE RF modules.
Much of the new LTE network will be focused initially on providing
coverage and will comprise sites with three symmetric sectors for
simplicity. Capacity-focused sites typically use three asymmetric
sectors with some sectors providing greater capacity than others.
Traditionally adding capacity to all RF technologies is achieved by
adding radio technology specific RF modules, baseband modules,
controller modules and transport capacity as required.
With Single RAN products, the capacity additions can also be
implemented by common and shared modules. Further capacity gains
can then be achieved by implementing advanced software features
from the Nokia Liquid Radio GSM, HSPA and LTE Software Suites.
The next stage in adding capacity is to split cells horizontally into
additional sectors, for example moving to a six-sector site which can
boost capacity by up to 80% and coverage by up to 40% compared to
existing three-sector sites.
Operators can also split cells vertically by deploying active antennas
which integrate several power amplifiers and transceivers with the
antennas dipoles, or radiating elements. This enables beam forming
in which the phase and amplitude of the signals from each radiating
element inside the antenna are controlled electronically to boost
site efficiency and performance. Creating two independent dynamic
beams can deliver up to 65% more capacity, together with better
coverage and higher data rates.
This path to greater capacity using the Single RAN concept enables
operators to maximize their macro radio network investments and
only when this has been achieved is there likely to be widespread
deployment of small cell sites, beyond 2015. Ultimately, the aim
of Single RAN is to simplify the growing complexity of macro radio
networks. The steady evolution of Single RAN capabilities will continue
this simplification and ensure that all hardware deployed will remain
usable in the future to protect operator investments.

Page 8

Modular design
One of the prerequisites for Single RAN is modularity, which
enables operators to start with small configurations and scale up
as markets grow. Modularity is increasingly needed because the
RF technologies are developed independently by standardization
(3GPP), because market needs differ and because technology
requirements develop differently.
A good example is that while the expected 1,000-fold increase
in data traffic is valid for LTE, it does not apply to GSM, which will
experience only modest growth or in some markets no growth
at all. Also, as LTE is initially rolled out to provide basic coverage,
there is no need for huge baseband capacity. However, this is likely
to change quickly and many LTE sites will need to evolve to larger
capacities. Modularity enables affordable capacity expansions.

Page 9

Re-farming
Re-farming some existing GSM frequencies with LTE and HSPA offers
great savings and expanded business opportunities for operators,
and the actual network rollout is much simpler with Single RAN. In
particular, implementing an additional HSPA RF module into the 900
MHz band instead of the 2100 MHz band may reduce the number of
required base station sites by 70%. This translates into a reduction
in HSPA base station Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) and Operational
Expenditure (OPEX).
In addition, operators can expect better network quality to help
reduce churn, as well as higher data ARPU from HSPA subscribers than
from GSM subscribers. Similar and even greater benefits can also be
expected with LTE re-farming.
Typical coverage area of 3-sector site in suburban area
2600 TDD
2600 FDD

1.3
1.9

2100

60%

3.2

1800

4.0

900

U850/U900 increases cell area by

~3 times with 50-70% fewer sites
compared to U2100

9.2

EU800
0.0

LTE1800 increases cell area by 2-3

times with 50-70% fewer sites
compared to LTE2600

10.0
2

6
km2

10

12

Fig. 3: How the frequency band affects base station site coverage area
Re-farming in a narrow GSM frequency band can be painful because
the traditional way to introduce higher capacity after hitting the
spectrum limit is to split the GSM base station sites by building a
micro layer. This typically means a huge number of additional base
station sites with lengthy roll-out and lower GSM network quality.
With Nokia Liquid Radio GSM Software Suite, operators can perform
re-farming in the macro layer, which is much faster to do. The
Nokia solution also uses less GSM spectrum than other solutions
and maintains high GSM network quality. Today, Nokia Liquid Radio
Software Suites enable GSM services to run the equivalent of 4+4+4
GSM RF module capacity in 3.8 MHz bandwidth, freeing up 35%
of spectrum capacity for re-farming to HSPA and LTE for mobile
broadband. In the future more efficient software will squeeze GSM
traffic into less bandwidth our target is as little as 1 MHz ultimately
with similar capacity and network quality.

Page 10

RF sharing
RF sharing is enabled by Single RAN base station hardware, in practice
changing from Single Carrier Power Amplifiers (SCPA) in GSM to Multi
Carrier Power Amplifiers (MCPA) as used in LTE and HSPA networks.
This opens the door for re-farming because with a simple software
upgrade, the existing base station RF can now be used simultaneously
for both GSM and LTE, or GSM and HSPA, depending on the frequency
band. HSPA and LTE RF sharing is commercially available today.
Current products also support triple sharing, but this has not
materialized in commercial networks yet, possibly because the GSM
frequency band is typically too narrow or fragmented for triple
sharing. When the same spectrum is shared, RF power and front haul
transport can shared by different RF technologies and we can expect
these capabilities to develop further in future product generations.
Two dedicated RF

RF sharing

LTE RF
GSM RF

WCDMA RF
GSM RF

Transport Backhaul sharing

One shared RF
LTE-GSM RF

LTE
WCDMA

ATM

GSM

TDM

WCDMA-GSM RF
LTE
WCDMA

LTE RF
WCDMA RF

Fig. 4: RF sharing examples

Page 11

Three backhaul transport networks

IP/Ethernet

LTE-WCDMA RF

GSM

IP/Ethernet
One shared backhaul

Baseband (system module) sharing

The multipurpose Baseband, or System Module, design enables the
same baseband hardware to be used for multiple RF technologies,
with one software platform at a time, which will simplify installation
and maintenance operations.
Multipurpose System Module

are

Multiple Software

Common System Module

WCDMA SW
GSM SW

Software
dened

GSM or HSPA or LTE

LTE SW

Fig. 5: Multipurpose Baseband

Modular capacity upgrades
TheModular
modularRFBaseband design enables an operator to start with small
Simple
capacity
configurations (coverage) and scale
up asRFmarkets
grow (capacity
upgrades
LTEin steps). Baseband processing
upgrades
capacity can be expanded
SM/RF
by remote
software upgrades, adding capacity sub-modules and by
WCDMA
1xLTE more
chaining additional modules. For example, plugging in one or two
systemGSM
sub-modules allows capacity to be scaled up two or three
times without the need for a new system module.
Capacity upgrades by submodules
Modular SM

Six system modules less

LTE SM

3xLTE
FBBA

3xHSPA

Triple RFGSM
Baseband
Sharing
SM

3xGSM

WCDMA SM

One system module less

adds also fronthaul capacity

system
modules less
Fig. 6: Modular System ModuleTwo
capacity
upgrades
LTE SM

Evo

Evo

LTE,WCDMA,GSM

SM
Today,WCDMA
all vendors
baseband products support one RF technology at
a time, GSM
but SM
baseband miniaturization will enable baseband module
sharing to further reduce the number of modules and simplifying
networks even more.

Triple RF Baseband Sharing

Baseband for triple RF
Two system modules less

LTE SM
WCDMA SM

Evo

LTE,WCDMA,GSM

GSM SM

Fig. 7: Baseband miniaturization in steps

Page 12

Baseband pooling
Increasingly, cloud technologies will make Single RAN more flexible
and more efficient. This applies to the control components of the
network as well as the baseband, allowing innovations to lead to more
optimized architectures.
The baseband will become increasingly flexible to enable processing
resources to be dynamically allocated and shared to improve the
end-user experience and network performance, including the
Single RAN component. As the pool of resources deployed from
macro sites becomes very high, integrating all future RATs, sectors,
spectra, antennas and even small cells as remote radio heads,
new opportunities for pooling resources will arise by using the
distributed baseband architecture in place today. Orchestration of
these resources will be further simplified using well known tools like
virtualization. These will embrace a mix of hardware technologies
to deliver uncompromised performance while enabling the required
flexibility. Nokia Liquid Applications is a first example of generalized
computing capabilities added to a commercial baseband solution.
Centralized baseband processing (pool), for example for multiple
base stations in a local datacenter, can increase baseband resource
efficiency further than is currently possible at macro sites. However,
additional savings are typically minor because of the necessary
high capacity, low latency fiber optics required between the
centralized baseband and RF transceivers. Hence, a dominating
driver for Centralized RAN is expected to be optimized radio network
performance and the related OPEX savings for baseband equipment.
Baseband pooling
Traditional BTS site
RF

OBSAI/CPRI

SM

BTS dedicated baseband

BTS site
RF
RF

Shared Baseband pool

OBSAI/CPRI

SM

Fig. 8: Conventional distributed baseband architecture versus

centralized baseband pool

Page 13

Further simplification of the network will be achieved by moving from

separate front haul links for each radio technology to a single shared
front haul cable combined with shared RF modules. One caveat here
though is that the use of front haul interfaces like OBSAI and CPRI
place capacity restrictions on the baseband pool and we see a need
to develop more flexible and higher capacity. This could be front haul
solutions based on Ethernet and optical transport networks to achieve
rates as high as 10/40 Gbps, compared to 10 Gbps in backhaul.
Baseband pooling
Traditional BTS site

Transport Fronthaul Sharing

Three fronthaul bres
LTE RF

OBSAI/CPRI

RF

WCDMA RF

OBSAI/CPRI

SM

GSM RF

OBSAI/CPRI

BTS dedicated baseband

BTS site

LTE RF
WCDMA RF
GSM RF

New fronthaul
One shared bre

RF
RF

Fig. 9: Evolving front haul transport sharing will further simplify networks

Transport sharing in backhaul

Transport backhaul sharing aims to simplify the network by moving
to one shared IP/Ethernet transport that can support GSM, HSPA and
LTE, thus eliminating the need for TDM transport links for GSM and
ATM transport links for HSPA.
Transport Backhaul sharing
LTE

Three backhaul transport networks

IP/Ethernet

WCDMA

ATM

GSM

TDM

LTE
WCDMA
GSM

IP/Ethernet
One shared backhaul

Fig. 10: Transport sharing in backhaul

Page 14

OBSAI/CPRI

Shared Baseband pool

OBSAI/CPRI

SM

Network sharing
The sharing of the RAN between two or more operators has been
shown to be an effective way to increase operational efficiency and
reduce the cost of delivering mobile broadband by up to 50%. In
remote and rural areas, where coverage is the primary design criterion
for radio network deployment, significant CAPEX savings are easily
achievable by sharing the RAN between two or more operators.
Network roll-out and time-to-market also speed up, since only one set
of new sites needs to be acquired and built.
Nokia provides network sharing solutions for all 3GPP-defined radio
technologies (GSM, HSPA and LTE) in any combination, including Multi
Operator RAN (MORAN) and Multi Operator Core Networks (MOCN)
functionality. The Key difference between MORAN and MOCN is the
frequency band which is dedicated for MORAN and shared in the case
of MOCN.
Spectrum re-farming may significantly reduce the set of frequencies
allocated to GSM. As a result, MOCN is the most suitable RAN sharing
method when there is insufficient spectrum.
Operator A
PLMN 124
SIB1:
PLMN 124
SIB1:
PLMN 344

MME SAE-GW
Base Station

Operator B
PLMN 344

MME SAE-GW
Fig. 11: Network sharing example: MOCN

Page 15

Single RAN base station

architecture evolution
A key advantage of Single RAN is its use of software to define the
functions of the multi-purpose hardware. The evolution of the Single
RAN base station is likely to see substantial software development
to bring new, aligned capabilities for all RF technologies at the
base station site. This requires changes in, for example, product
architecture, software management, O&M configuration management
and testing as an essential part of Single RAN evolution.
Today

Example of an intermediate step

TRS BM ASW

ASW

BM ASW
RF

Evo

TRS

TRS BM ASW

Independent RAT SW releases

Independent RAT SW packages
Independent RAT SW downloads

RF

Evo

BM ASW

Single RAN SW release

Single RAN SW package
Independent RAT SW downloads

Legend
TRS = Transport functionality
BM = BTS management functionality
ASW = RAT application SW
Fig. 12: Single RAN base station architecture evolution steps

Page 16

Target
BM
TRS

RF
ASW

Single RAN SW release

Single RAN SW package
Single RAN SW download
Dynamic inter RAT
capacity pooling

Multicontroller
Also coming under the umbrella of Single RAN is the radio network
controller function required by GSM and HSPA radio technologies. A
multicontroller uses common modular hardware with software-based
configurations to meet varying traffic profiles.
BTS site

RNC site

Scalable
capacity

Core network site

Scalable
capacity

Scalable
capacity

CS Core

PS Core

Fig. 13: Multicontroller scales according to location-specific capacity needs

As traffic demand grows, multicontroller capacity can be easily scaled
up and with investments in-line with business needs. Similarly, as
subscriber usage patterns change over time, the Multicontroller
hardware can be readily reconfigured from GSM to HSPA, thereby
providing a very straightforward technology migration path and
maximizing return on investment.
RNC mode
modules
BSC mode
modules

3G capacity
requirements

GSM capacity
requirements

Fig. 14: Multicontroller hardware can be re-purposed for mcRNC functionality

Page 17

RNC mode
modules

BSC mode
modules

Using the latest multifunctional hardware leads to designs that are far
more space efficient than traditional controllers. For example, typical
configurations can handle traditional RNC site capacity with only 70%
of capacity being used and in less than 10% of the volume. Ultimately
this means that Multicontrollers will be easier to site and cheaper to
run than their forebears.
Unlike GSM and HSPA, 3GPP standardization for LTE radio access
eliminates the need for a controller network element, because the
controller functions are split between the LTE base station and LTE
core network. There is some industry discussion that implementing
a centralized LTE scheduler, or controller, could improve cell edge
performance. However, not only would this additional network element
increase LTE network complexity, but the same gains in cell edge
performance can be achieved today more cost effectively by smart
scheduling software within and between LTE base stations. In addition,
the geographical deployment of the BSC/RNC might differ from the
LTE centralized scheduler considerably, reducing any potential benefits
of a centralized LTE scheduler.
The current understanding is that centralized LTE scheduling and
a new controller network element could be beneficial in the small
cells layer, but not in the macro base station layer, but this requires
further investigation. Current Nokia Flexi Multiradio Base Stations are
already ready to implement such central coordination functionality
and to integrate small cells both as remote radio heads and via X2
connectivity for optimal HetNet performance. The award-winning
Nokia Flexi Zone architecture is one additional example where a cluster
of small cells can be software upgraded and enhanced with servercapable controller functionality as capacity needs increase.

Page 18

Single RAN Operations and Management

Currently, Single RAN is configured, operated and managed separately for
different RF technologies, backhaul, controllers and security components.
This will evolve to a integrated Operations and Management (O&M)
solution that aligns the management of all the components of a Single
RAN implementation for the highest overall performance by providing a
single entity for visualization and operations.
A common O&M solution allows evolution to a single operations
approach, reducing the need for radio access specific processes and
different tools. One O&M solution also ensures a seamless view across
different technologies to manage one high quality network without
unnecessary boundaries
This, together with an alignment of the feature sets for each radio
technology, also simplifies operations for network-wide functionalities,
such as load balancing and gives operators full flexibility to manage
traffic as required.
Furthermore, by introducing self-configuration, self-optimization and
self-healing capabilities, a Single RAN network can become self-aware
and intelligent with less manual intervention needed.
Single RAN BTS Site Management
Evo

Traditional
LTE WCDMA GSM BTSs

Single RAN BTS

Fig. 15: Evolving from traditional base station management

to Single RAN base station management

Page 19

As Single RAN combines different radio technologies and different

frequency bands, inter-radio performance, such as load balancing
and hand-over quality, need attention. This is where Self Organizing
Networks (SON) bring great benefits. The vast number of base stations
and cells in a typical multi-technology network lead to a high level
of work. By contrast, Nokia Intelligent SON (iSON) ensures that the
highest possible network quality is achieved with minimum effort by
operating personnel.
For example, when a new base station is introduced, iSON selfconfiguration helps operators to roll out networks much faster. iSON
also supports the automated secure provisioning of base stations:
a certificate authority using Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) ensures
only operator-authorized base stations can access the network. The
configuration time of a new base station is reduced from hours to just
a few minutes.
With Automated Neighbor Relations (ANR), the base station recognizes
and organizes itself with the best-quality neighbor cells, regardless of
the technology. This ensures high quality end-user service. iSON Selfoptimization maintains the highest network quality despite changing
conditions of traffic load, network expansion and user behavior.

Analysis and Conguration

Also, iSONs fault resolution process greatly helps to improve network

performance at the small and large scales. iSON even delivers energy
savings by automatically making parts of the network inactive during a
quiet period.

Automation

Workforce
GSM

GSM+WCDMA

GSM+WCDMA+LTE

Fig. 16: iSON for Single RAN benefits

Page 20

Energy efficiency
In mature markets, 10%-15% of network OPEX is used on energy.
In developing markets, this can be up to 50% with a high number of
off-grid sites. Over the last two years the largest network operators
have reported a growth of 15-35% in their network energy use.
Before discussing the opportunities for improvement it is important
to first identify the main factors influencing energy consumption in
radio access sites. Starting at the base station site, up to 30% of the
energy entering a site will often be consumed by site level facilities
such as cooling. Another 20% is dissipated in power systems, leaving
around 50% of the sites energy consumption to run the base
station itself.
Operators adding overlay LTE base station sites have seen that base
station site energy consumption is increased typically by 20%. With
Single RAN capable base stations, the rise in energy consumption
caused by the LTE rollout can be reduced by modernizing the old
GSM and HSPA base station components. For example, a Single
RAN base station consumes up to 60% less energy compared to
traditional single technology base stations.
6000
5000
4000

60%

LTE 1+1+1@40+40W
3G 1+1+1@40W
GSM 4+4+4@15W

3000
2000
1000
0

UltraSite+FMR
10BTS

FMR 10BTS

Fig. 17: How LTE upgrades and modernization of base station

sites affect energy consumption
Similarly the modernization of existing RNC and BSC network
elements with a Multicontroller platform consuming as little as 0.55W
per served cell, makes networks much more energy efficient than with
traditional controllers.
Generally, modern base stations do not need air conditioning, unlike
most legacy base station sites. Field implementations prove that
removing air conditioning systems cuts an additional 30% off a base
station sites energy consumption.

Page 21

High order sectorization, for example upgrading to six sectors,

can provide up to 80% more capacity for the same total RF power
because of higher gain dual beam antennas with more focused beams.
Active Antenna Systems (AAS) support vertical sectorization (also
called 3D beam forming) and avoid the typical 3 dB feeder losses of
conventional sites. Adaptive beam forming raises energy efficiency
even further. Future technologies, such as Full Dimensional MIMO
(FD-MIMO) and Massive MIMO, will deploy arrays of hundreds of small
antennas for very fine granular beam steering to sharply focus the
radio energy into small areas to avoid wasting energy on spaces where
coverage is not needed. Such solutions may contribute considerable
additional energy savings.
As data traffic grows and extra RF module capacity is needed, refarming is an effective way to reduce energy consumption. Re-farming
can raise network data throughput and capacity in GSM spectrum by
ten times. Adding a new HSPA RF module in the 900 MHz frequency
band instead of at 2100 MHz can result in up to 70% fewer base
station sites, creating up to 70% lower energy consumption. Should
the existing GSM RF module in the 900 MHz band support GSM/HSPA
RF sharing, then an additional 20% energy savings are possible.
Deployment studies of live networks show that savings due to network
sharing can be 10-20% of the access network energy consumption.
However, it is important to note that these network sharing gains
are highest when there is low average network utilization. This makes
network sharing especially effective in areas with low traffic density,
for example for providing energy-efficient coverage in rural areas.
There are several other opportunities to further improve base station
site energy efficiency:
The processing capacity of baseband processors is doubling every
18 months. This is doubling capacity per Watt consumed and
creates the foundation for baseband pools that can be shared
efficiently by different RATs
Load-based improvements in RF power amplifier efficiency by
optimizing operations according to energy consumption
Network traffic based shutdown of excessive capacity or a second
radio access technology overlay will save energy during low traffic
periods
Energy savings can be achieved in dedicated LTE bands by disabling
the RF power amplifier for very short periods when no OFDM
symbols are being transmitted.
Nokias target is to flatten total mobile network energy consumption
despite the anticipated traffic growth.

Page 22

Nokia Single RAN Advanced

Nokia began deliveries of the worlds first commercial Single RAN
product, the Flexi Multiradio Base Station, in 2008 which was deployed
in the same year in the worlds first commercial HSPA re-farmed
network, for Elisa Finland.
Today, close 300 mobile operators around the world use the Nokia
Single RAN Advanced solution, with re-farming and RF sharing being
the most popular applications. Currently, Nokia has achieved close
100 LTE/HSPA re-farming network references.
The Nokia Single RAN Advanced portfolio comprises the following
six components:
Nokia Flexi Multiradio 10 Base Station
This is the smallest software-defined, multi-technology, high-capacity
base station on the market and a superb solution for Single RAN.
Flexi Multiradio RF modules delivered since 2008 support RF sharing
application software, while only one system module type is needed for
GSM, HSPA and LTE.
Software-de ned for GSM, WCDMA/HSPA+, LTE/LTE-A
Industry leading 10 Gbps BTS platform capacity
LTE-A capable 4 Gbps world record data speed
Pay-as-you grow with capacity sub-modules
Powered by Liquid Radio Software Suites

Fig. 18: Nokia Flexi Multiradio 10 Base Station

Nokia Flexi Compact Base Station
The industrys first single module, three-sector macro base station
with integrated baseband and transport functions. Its low cost single
module design fits everywhere - in rural, urban and hotspot locations,
with pole, tower top and side wall mounting, without the need for a
separate cabinet.
Integrated System Module and RF Module
Integrated transport interfaces for E1 and Ethernet
Output power up to 3 x 60W MCPA
Expandable with Flexi modules for LTE/WCDMA
Powered by Liquid Radio Software Suites

Fig. 19: Nokia Flexi Compact Base Station

Page 23

Nokia Single RAN Transport solution

Traditionally, each RF technology has had its own transport network;
TDM for GSM and ATM or IP/Ethernet for HSPA. The deployment of
LTE requires a new high capacity IP/Ethernet transport network which
increases complexity and costs. Typically operators will consider
modernizing their GSM and HSPA base stations when they roll out LTE
to reduce costs and complexity, and sharing IP/Ethernet transport
network is a very natural step.
Nokia Single RAN transport solution consists of fully Flexi Base Station
and Multicontroller integrated shared, high capacity and secure IP/
Ethernet backhaul solution for GSM, HSPA and LTE technologies. With
our solution there is no need for separate cabinets or many O&M
solutions for backhaul transport supervision.
Common and secure backhaul transport
QoS aware Ethernet switching or IP routing
Transport termination sharing
Pay-as-you grow with transport sub-modules
Fully integrated to Flexi Base Stations and Multicontroller

Fig. 20: Nokia Single Transport Solution

Core network
Secure IPSec tunnel

SGW

Base Station
Cert

Certicate Authority
Fig. 21: Overview of Nokia IPSec end-to-end solution

Page 24

SAE-GW

Security Gateway (SGW)

CSPnet

Internet

Nokia Multicontroller platform

The industrys first modular and compact Multicontroller platform
is a field-proven radio network controller for GSM and HSPA,
designed to deliver flexibility and with it, a competitive advantage.
The Multicontroller can be configured easily and when necessary
reconfigured to meet the demands of virtually any traffic mix.
Compact form factor
Multipurpose technology platform for GSM and WCDMA
High scalability & Flexible allocation of processing power
Very high reliability and resilience
Powered by Liquid Radio Software Suites

Fig. 22: Nokia Multicontroller platform

Nokia Liquid Radio Software Suites
Nokia Liquid Radio Software Suites for LTE, HSPA and GSM encompass
a variety of innovative applications. The software suites allow
operators to make their network more fluid, further optimize their
radio equipment use, improve network efficiency and get more out
of their spectrum. Moreover, with re-farming, the roll out of mobile
broadband services is easier and more cost-efficient, potentially
helping to increase revenues by enabling faster re-farming. Through
simple software upgrades, the software suites effectively increase the
network capacity and help operators to balance the use of spectrum
and networks more efficiently and thus optimize their expenditure. For
subscribers, this leads to a superior mobile broadband experience.
The Nokia Liquid Radio GSM Software Suite helps operators to
compress existing GSM network traffic into less spectrum, enabling
easier and more cost-effective LTE and HSPA re-farming. The Suite
also helps operators to re-farm more quickly and with less spectrum
than ever before.
Liquid Radio GSM Software Suite
GSM spectrum
Squeeze GSM trac
GSM

LTE/WCDMA

GSM

Fig. 23: Nokia Liquid Radio GSM Software Suite helps to

squeeze GSM into less spectrum

Page 25

Flexi Multiradio 10 BTS

Products
Multicontroller

LTE-A
HSPA+
GSM

Single RAN
Transport
GSM
WCDMA

Common IP/Ethernet
Backhaul for
GSM, WCDMA, LTE

Flexi Compact BTS

GSM
LTE *
WCDMA *

Refarming Solutions
RF sharing Software
One purpose
LTE SW & HW
GSM SW & HW

Liquid Radio GSM Software Suite

GSM spectrum
Shared

Squeeze GSM trac

LTE & GSM SW

GSM

LTE/WCDMA

* See availability from LTE/WCDMA roadmaps

Fig. 24: The Nokia single RAN Advanced portfolio overview

True control over complex networks

Today, Single RAN supports multiple sharing options like RF sharing,
transport sharing, network sharing and spectrum sharing. In the
future, Single RAN networks will be even simpler as hardware and
software developments progress to enable completely new ways
to share hardware dynamically and in the cloud, such as baseband
pooling. In addition, end-to-end security is embedded into the
evolving Single RAN Advanced solution.
We can expect Single RAN networks to become even easier to install
and maintain, cheaper, higher capacity, secure and simpler to operate
and to enable smooth evolution to new technologies like HSPA+ and
LTE-A which provide further opportunities for operator growth and
true business control.

Page 26

GSM

Abbreviations
3GPP
AAS
ANR
ARPU
ATM
BSC
BTS
CAPEX
CPRI
FD-MIMO
GSM
HSPA
IP
IPsec
iSON
LTE
LTE-A
MCPA
MIMO
MOCN
MORAN
O&M
OBSAI
OFDM
OPEX
PKI
QoS
RAN
RAT
RF
RNC
SCPA
SON
TDM
HSPA

Page 27

Third Generation Partnership Project

Active Antenna System
Automated Neighbor Relations
Average Revenue per User
Asynchronous Transfer Mode
Base Station Controller
Base Transceiver Station
Capital Expenditure
Common Public Radio Interface
Full Dimensional MIMO
Global System for Mobile Communications
High Speed
Internet Protocol
Internet Protocol Security
Nokia Intelligent SON
Long Term Evolution
LTE Advanced
Multi Carrier Power Amplifier
Mulitple-Input, Multiple-Output
Multi Operator Core Networks
Multi Operator RAN
Operations and Management
Open Base Station Architecture Initiative
Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing
Operational Expenditure
Public Key Infrastructure
Quality of Service
Radio Access Network
Radio Access Technology
Radio Frequency
Radio Network Controller
Single Carrier Power Amplifier
Self Organizing Networks
Time Division Multiplexing
Wideband Code Division Multiple Access

Nokia is a registered trademark of Nokia Corporation. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks
or trade names of their respective owners.
Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy
P.O. Box 1
FI-02022
Finland
Visiting address:
Karaportti 3, ESPOO, Finland
Switchboard +358 71 400 4000
Product code C401-01007-WP-201406-1-EN
Nokia Solutions and Networks 2014