5G virtualization over a PON infrastructure enabled by silicon photonics

云计算和软件定义网络的出现为全球范围内的资源分配引入了一种新的范例。为移动手持设备开发的应用程序假定远程计算工具可以使用。虚拟化在通信链路的每一层都得到了利用——到分布式天线的无线链路、到智能边缘的光回程、到数据中心的互联网骨干网，以及光互联子系统的交换机架。**光纤到户部署为femto蜂窝的推出和配置提供了低资本支出（capex）的解决方案。5G承诺的普遍覆盖和极高比特率可以通过利用无源光网络（PON）基础设施为私人住宅提供光纤连接来实现。光纤上的无线电承载了在PON光纤上传输的数字数据的无线信号。PON终端的无线电捕获5G信号，将其转换为光域，并将其路由到远程接入节点（智能边缘）进行电子分类。智能边缘从整个网络的角度来优化所覆盖的无线基站的资源分配，为对延迟敏感的应用程序提供处理，并将不太关键的计算路由到远程云。硅光子学组件提供光纤无线电支持的附加功能，同时尊重客户端设备的成本要求。设备必须是无色、低成本和可扩展的，以满足不断增长的数据速率要求。我们在PON基础设施上开发与5G光纤无线虚拟化解决方案兼容的硅和氮化硅系统架构。**光纤到户的部署继续快速发展，北美的部署以每年20%的速度增长，其中加拿大的增长速度最快。在5年左右的研究周期内，光纤广泛到户部署的假设是非常可信的。通过更密集的蜂窝网络扩大5G覆盖范围将使加拿大消费者受益。************** .************

The emergence of cloud computing and software defined networks has introduced a new paradigm for resource allocation on a global scale. Applications developed for mobile hand held devices assume computing tools remote and far can be brought to bear. Virtualization is exploited at every level of the communications link - the wireless link to distributed antennas, the optical backhaul to the smart edge, the internet backbone to data centers, and the switched racks of optically interconnected subsystems. ** Fiber to the home deployment provides a low capital expenditure (capex) solution for femto cell roll-out and provisioning. The universal coverage and extremely high bit rates promised by 5G can be achieved by exploiting the passive optical network (PON) infrastructure providing fiber connections to private residences. Radio over fiber piggy-backs wireless signals on the digital data travelling on the PON fibers. Radios at PON termination points capture 5G signals, convert them to the optical domain and route them to a remote access node (the smart edge) for electronic triage. The smart edge takes a network-wide view at optimizing resource allocation over the wireless femto cells covered, providing processing for latency-sensitive applications and routing less critical computations to the remote cloud. Silicon photonics components provide the added functionality of radio over fiber support, while respecting the cost imperatives of customer premises equipment. Equipment must be colorless, low-cost and scalable to ever increasing data rate requirements. We develop silicon and silicon nitride, system architecture compatible with virtualization solutions for 5G radio over fiber on a PON infrastructure.** The roll-out of fiber to the home continues apace with deployments in North America increasing by 20 percent yearly, with Canada posting the fastest growth rate. With a research horizon of ~5 years, the assumption of extensive fiber to the home deployment is highly credible. Expansion of 5G coverage via denser cell networks would benefit Canadian consumers. ************** .************