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式。为移动手持设备开发的应用程序假设远程和远距离计算工具可以发挥作用。在通信链路的每个级别都利用了虚拟化--到分布式天线的无线链路、到智能边缘的光纤回程、到数据中心的互联网主干以及光互连子系统的交换机架。**光纤到户部署为毫微微蜂窝部署和配置提供了低资本支出(CapEx)解决方案。通过利用为私人住宅提供光纤连接的无源光网络(PON)基础设施，可以实现5G承诺的普遍覆盖和极高的比特率。光纤无线电承载在PON光纤上传输的数字数据上的无线信号。PON终结点的无线电捕获5G信号，将其转换到光域，并将其路由到远程接入节点(智能边缘)进行电子分流。智能边缘着眼于在覆盖的无线毫微微蜂窝上优化资源分配，为延迟敏感型应用提供处理，并将不太关键的计算路由到远程云。硅光电子组件提供光纤无线电支持的附加功能，同时尊重客户驻地设备的成本要求。设备必须是无色、低成本且可扩展以满足不断增长的数据速率要求。我们开发硅和氮化硅，系统架构与PON基础设施上5G光纤无线电的虚拟化解决方案兼容。**光纤到户的铺设继续快速，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。凭借大约5年的研究周期，将光纤广泛部署到家庭的假设是高度可信的。通过更密集的蜂窝网络扩大5G覆盖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. ************** .************