Hybrid 2012 - Workshop on Hybrid Optical Wireless Access Networks: Opportunities and Challenges for 4G Cellular Backhauling

Hybrid Optical Wireless Access Networks: Opportunities and Challenges for 4G Cellular Backhauling

Organizers:
Leonid Kazovski, Stanford University, USA
Ken Ichi Kitayama, Osaka University, Japan
Carmo Medeiros, University of Algarve, Portugal
Maurice Gagnaire, Telecom ParisTech, France

Abstract:
Fourth Generation (4G) radio cellular networks target data rates up to the Gbps range. Existing Radio Access Networks (RAN) are not suited to this evolution. A more efficient spectrum management and an increased cell density are required to achieve such capacities. The simple duplication of the base stations to provide broadband ubiquitous services is not economically viable in terms of investment and operation and management costs. Hybrid optical-wireless access systems based on Radio-over-Fiber (RoF) technologies are viewed as a very promising solution to this problem. On one hand, analog RoF enables a mutualization of the multiplexing and radio signal processing equipment at a central remote site. On the other hand, digital RoF facilitates the design of distributed and intelligent antennas. It consists in replacing a single antenna at the center of a cell by multiple antennas at the scale of micro-cells. Similarly to analog RoF, digital RoF does not need a strict duplication of the multiplexing and radio signal equipment with antenna’s duplication. The objective of this workshop is to present and compare innovative approaches for Next-Generation RANs (NGRAN). It will favor discussions between academics, vendors and carriers involved in 4G radio mobile backhauling and RoF technologies and networks developments.

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