The next generation 5G wireless networks are envisioned to exponentially increase the throughput of the legacy orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) based wireless systems and will become more adaptive to application-oriented networks, which can be mainly classified into three categories as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable and low-latency communication (URLLC) for mission critical applications and massive machine type communication (mMTC) for realizing Internet of Things (IoT) with efficient and high-density connectivity. In order to better serve the customers in a wide radio coverage, fiber-wireless integration heterogeneous network becomes a necessarily foundation for 5G wireless networks. It will replace the conventional microwave backbone through the lower transmission loss optical fiber for delivering the desired wireless data.

Video-intensive services, such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and ultra-high definition 4K/8K videos applications are driving the growth of data traffic at user premises in an explosive way, making access networks become a bottleneck of user quality of experience. Various optical and wireless access technologies have been investigated, including passive optical networks (PON), cloud-radio access networks (C-RAN), and hybrid fiber coax (HFC) networks. In the United States, there are more than 70 million subscribers using hybrid-coax services for broadband access, which is 50% more than the combined digital subscriber line (DSL) and fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) users.

Extremely demanding 5G applications calls for a revolutionary architecture of 5G network, and several techniques are proposed in conjunction with Radio Access Networks (RANs) to optimally serve the needs of customers. For example, due to the rapidly growing data demand of broadband wireless, the currently available spectrum becomes overcrowded. Exploring new radios (NR) to millimeter wave (MMW) frequencies, e.g., Ka band (26.5-40 GHz), V band (40-75 GHz) and W band (75-110 GHz), is one of the hottest research areas for relieving the spectrum congestion. Second, to more efficient deliver wireless data, advanced waveforms and modulation formats by improving digital signal processing (DSP) are proposed to increase the transmission efficiency and the tolerance of burst interference as well as to enhance the wireless link reliability. Third, to meet the necessary network flexibility and increasing the time/frequency resource utilization, function split and edge computing as well as open RAN are discussed in major standard bodies. As a result, the interconnection between central unit (CU) and end users is sliced into two parts, named as FH-II and FH-I, connecting from CU to distributed units (DUs), and from DUs to remote radio units (RRUs), respectively. All spectrum radio access technologies for adaptively fitting different service requirements.

Based on fiber-wireless integrated access network architectures, we present pioneering technical solutions and our perspectives from Fiber-Wireless Integration and Networking (FiWIN) research center to make 5G a reality. Fiber-wireless integrated radio access technologies are the pillars to enable game-changing network architectures in order to deliver extremely diverse and demanding services required by 5G and beyond. The requirements of fiber-to-the-cells and fiber-to-the-antennas will change the landscape of next generation wireless communications. Key advancements in mobile data communication architectures, interfaces and research breakthroughs will be discussed in this talk.

Bio of Gee-Kung Chang