Requirements and viewpoints for

backhaul synchronization
draft-zhou-tictoc-ran-sync-req-00.txt
Angela Zhou, Xiaodong Duan
China Mobile

Outline
Synchronization Requirements
Mobile backhaul network
Concerns on synchronization

Synchronization in 2G/GSM

Current 2G/GSM Networks

MS

Ref.
clock

MS
E1

Future 2G/GSM Networks

BTS

E1

BSC

Circuit
Emulation
E1

SDH

E1

Ref.
clock

PSN
MS

BTS

FE

BSC

GE

IP BTS

Sync Requirements in
current 2G/GSM Networks

SDH transport network need frequency

sync: +/- 50ppm
Base stations need frequency sync: +/0.05ppm
Reference clock is distributed via an
explicit transport at the physical layer:
PDH/SDH

IP BSC

Sync Requirements in future

2G/GSM Networks

Packet switching network do not need strict

synchronization
Base stations need frequency sync: +/- 0.05ppm
For base stations, Reference clock is distributed via
PSN, need physical synchronization support (e.g.
Sync Ethernet) or packet-based synchronization (e.g.
1588).
Note: Previous SDH transport network maybe still exist
for traditional base stations, sync requirement is the
same as before.

Synchronization in 3G/TD-SCDMA

Current trail 3G/TD-SCDMA Networks

Future 3G/TD-SCDMA Networks

Ref.
clock
NodeB

NodeB

SDH

PSN

ATM

GE

RNC
FE

RNC
ATM

NodeB

NodeB

Sync Requirement in current

3G/TD-SCDMA Networks

SDH transport network need frequency

sync: +/- 50ppm
For transport network, Reference clock is
distributed via an explicit transport at the
physical layer: PDH/SDH
Base stations need frequency sync: +/0.05ppm, and phase sync: +/- 3us
For base stations, reference clock is
distributed via GPS

Sync Requirement in future

3G/TD-SCDMA Networks

Packet switching network do not need

strict synchronization
Base stations need frequency sync:
+/- 0.05ppm, and phase sync: +/- 3us
For base stations, reference clock is
distributed via PSN, need physical
synchronization support (e.g. Sync
Ethernet) for frequency sync or
packet-based synchronization (e.g.
1588) for time/phase sync.

Synchronization in 4G/TDD-LTE/FDD-LTE
Possible synchronization requirements in LTE
Synchronization requirements in ALL-IP network
Synchronization requirements in distributing Base Station
(mesh topology among base stations)
Synchronization requirements in distributing BBU & RRU
Synchronization requirements in radio interfaces
Note: synchronization requirement in LTE is under discussion.
eNB

eNB

eNB

Ref.
clock

PSN
eNB

AGW
eNB
eNB
eNB

Synchronization in different parts

Requirements schematic diagram
Base
station

UE

UE

Radio
Interface
SYNC

Node
SYNC

Base
station
controller

Ref.
Clock

Network SYNC

Base
station

Synchronization requirements in different positions

Layer

Sub Items

Frequency Accuracy

Phase Accuracy

Network Sync

E1

50ppm

STM-N

4.6ppm

PTN

Not so strict

Controller-Base
station

50ppb(If base station pick up

time from base station
controller)

3us(if base station pick up time

from base station controller)

Inter-Base station

50ppb(If base station pick up

time from other base station)

3us(If base station pick up time

from other base station)

GSM

50ppb

WCDMA

50ppb

TD-SCDMA

50ppb

3us

TDD LTE

50ppb

TBD

Node Sync

Radio interface

Outline
Synchronization Requirements
Mobile backhaul network
Concerns on synchronization

Mobile backhaul
Mobile backhaul could be based on

Carrier Ethernet (e.g. 802.1ad, PBB-TE)

IP/MPLS (e.g. PW, VPLS, L3VPN ,IP routing)
T-MPLS
Others

Each transport technique can fit certain scenario

respectively, and they could be used in different network
layers (access/aggregation/core).

Mobile backhaul
Mobile backhaul network
Base
station

Access

Aggr

Base
station
controller

802.1ad
Base
station
Base
station

PBT

IP/MPLS
core

Base
station
controller

IP/MPLS
core

Base
station
controller

PON
DLS

Base
station
controller

Base
station
TMPLS
Base
station

Core

TMPLS
TMPLS

Base
station
controller

Base
station
MPLS Access
MPLS AGG
VLL/VPLS

Base
station
802.1ad

IP/MPLS
core

Base
station
controller

SON & Self-backhauling

Ref.
Clock

AGW 2

New BS
Join

Self Organization Network

Some BSs are configured
only by its mother BS for
both sync and radio
resource

AGW 1

Self-backhauling
Using in-band connection
between BSs for
backhaul

Outline
Synchronization Requirements
Mobile backhaul network
Concerns on synchronization

Concerns & Summary

The requirements for RAN is clear and urgent

Radio Access Network is on the early stage of moving to IP transport
Using GPS will affect the flexible deployment of BS, we really need a new
synchronization technology to substitute GPS, epically though a simple Ethernet
port
How to distribute synchronization through packet based network? Can 1588
meet our requirements? Telecom profiles of 1588 should be standardized:
network scale/ network load/ local clock accuracy
Security

The synchronization methods in next generation mobile network (LTE) and

MESH/SON network should be paid more attention.

At the same time, it is complex and more technologies in backhaul

How to extend IEEE1588 or other synchronization technology so that it can be
used smoothly in PBN and complex backhaul.
Features needed for Backhaul nodes to support 1588 for high accuracy
Different layers shall collaborate to meet the sync requirements form end to end,
so what kind of mechanisms/protocols are need between different layer and
technologies in backhaul?

Thank you&
Any questions?