An Ethernet-Based Fronthaul Implementation with MAC/PHY Split LTE Processing

A testbed implementation for an Ethernet fronthaul transporting signals arising from a long-term evolution (LTE) functional subdivision (“split”) at the media-access control (MAC)/physical layer (PHY) interface is presented. Based on open LTE base station software, the testbed demonstrates significant data rate reductions compared to current fronthaul implementations that rely on In-phase and Quadrature radio sample transportation and data rates that scale with cell load. All generated traffic flows are clearly distinguishable using appropriate packet headers. A selection of test cases and their corresponding results are presented to demonstrate the operation of the fronthaul and the performance of individual flows in terms of data rates and overheads.