Ericsson White Paper
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March 2022

Optimized Optical
Solutions for
Mobile Transport
Networks

Optimized Optical Solutions for Mobile Transport Networks
Content
March 2022

Content
Introduction					3Conclusion					13Glossary					14Acronyms					16References					17Authors						18

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Optimized Optical Solutions for Mobile Transport Networks
Introduction
March 2022

Introduction
As 5G networks are being deployed worldwide, high-speed optical transport is required tosupport the services and end user expectations. However, optical components, especiallypluggable transceivers designed for data center applications not always meet the needsof the modern mobile network. Today, there is no shared and common understanding
in the industry on which are the most important optical deployment cases and related
requirements for Radio Access Networks (RANs). Industry specification, development,
and deployment of optical components optimized for the mobile network would provide
the transport foundation for current and future mobile networks. Such optimized opticalcomponents both enable cost savings while at the same time supporting the deployment ofadvanced services driving additional revenue. The Mobile Optical Pluggables (MOPA) [4] isan example of an industry initiative going in this direction.
Moving from optical components in RAN to optical components for RAN
Since the second mobile systems generation in the 1990s, the RAN capacity has grownexponentially [1]. Moving from 4G to 5G, this trend shows no sign of slowing down: peakdata rate (maximum download speed) increased more than 60 times and traffic demand(data load on networks) increased 10 times. In particular, the fifth-generation mobile
networks introduced several improvements from previous generations, including higher
data rates enabled by much wider spectrum allocations. As an example, while the maximum
spectrum width for LTE is 20 MHz, 5G NR can achieve up to 100 MHz in mid-band, and up to
800 MHz in high bands. The race for the spectrum allocations in the fifth-generation mobile
systems goes in parallel with that for the rollouts of 5G networks: by 2027, it is expectedthat 5G networks will carry 62 percent of total mobile data traffic [2]. The increase in traffic
is not the only aspect that differentiates 5G from previous mobile system generations. In
highly populated cities, densification of the network (traffic load per square kilometer) is as
important as the capability to deal with a high concentration of users. Analysts say that big
cities will be served with 1 or 2 petabytes per square kilometer by 2025 [3]. Consequently,
the mobile transport network follows a similar evolution in capacity and density. All thisresults in a need for increasingly high data rates in the transport network, pointing to thegrowing importance of optical solutions in mobile networks. Another way to illustrate thegrowing importance of optics in RAN is depicted in Figure 1, where the total bill of material(BoM) cost for a radio unit (RU) is shown with the pluggable optics cost portion for threedifferent mobile generations (3G WCDMA in 2009, 4G LTE in 2014, and 5G NR in 2022). As
can be seen, the relative cost portion of the optics has roughly doubled with 5G NR.

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Optimized Optical Solutions for Mobile Transport Networks
Introduction
March 2022

4

cost
100%
BoM

RU

RU

RU

SFP

SFP

SFP28

3G WCDMA(2009)

4G LTE(2014)

5G NR(2022)

time

Figure 1. Relative cost portion of optical pluggables vs the total cost for an RRU fromthree different mobile generations

The mobile transport network connects RAN equipment such as Radio Units (RUs),
Distributed Units (DUs), and Centralized Units (CUs), as shown in Figure 2. It includes the
backhaul network, connecting the 5G Core Network to CUs, and supports both High Layer
Split (HLS) interfaces between CUs and DUs and Low Layer Split (LLS) interfaces between
DUs and RUs.

Radio
Unit(RU)

Low layer Split(LLS) Interface

Distributed
Unit (DU)

CentralUnit(CU)High layer Split(HLS) Interface

Backhaul

5G
Core

Mobile Transport Network

Figure 2. Mobile transport network

To deal with such a variety of connectivity services, the mobile transport network
encompasses different kinds of equipment and technologies: packet switches and IP routers(fronthaul gateways, cell site gateways, etc.), front-panel pluggable optical transceivers(simply referred to as pluggables in the following), coarse or dense wavelength divisionmultiplexers and demultiplexers and optical add-drop multiplexers (OADM).
The data rate from each 5G RUs is typically multiple Gbit/s carried over a few 10 Gbit/sor 25Gbit/s physical ports. These data rates are multiplied by the number of RUs at eachantenna site and the number of antenna sites, so that the resulting aggregate bit rate

Optimized Optical Solutions for Mobile Transport Networks
Introduction
March 2022

5

can become a multiple of 100 Gbit/s. Thus, high-capacity (and cost-effective) opticalcomponents are key enablers for the mobile transport network. Radio access networks
already drive big market volumes, with millions of optical pluggables deployed every year,
and will do even more in the future. Figure 3 shows forecasts of the number of units andtotal revenues for optical pluggable transceivers in RANs.
USD millions
450

8000

Thousands

7000

400

6000

350
5000

300
4000

250

3000
2000

200
2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

2027
Year

Revenues

Units

Figure 3. Forecasts of the number of units and total revenues
for optical pluggable transceivers in RANs

The decrease of revenue starting from 2022 is due to the steep cost reduction of 25Gtransceivers, which is the dominant data rate in this time frame. Starting from 2025, more
expensive transceivers working at higher bit rates, such as 50G and 100G, are expected to
become a significant portion of the total number of units, restarting the revenues growth.
The evolution of the bit rate is evident in Figure 4 which is showing a long-term forecast ofpluggable units deployed at different bit rates in 2020 and 2026.

Units thousands

Figure 4 shows that the volumes for <10G, 10G, and 25 are about the same in 2020, whilein 2026 25G is expected to dominate. Also, 100G ramps up quickly in this time frame, driven
by packet-based mobile transport. However, long-term market forecasts like this may be
5000

4000

3000

2000

1000

0
<10G

10G

25G

100G

Bit rate
2020

Figure 4. Long-term forecast of pluggable units deployedat different bit rates in 2020 and 2026

2026

Optimized Optical Solutions for Mobile Transport Networks
Introduction
March 2022

affected by the introduction of unexpected emerging technologies. This could be the casefor 50G: A very mature technology in the datacom industry which is becoming compellingfor mobile networks due to the impending adoption of 50G electrical SerDes technology
and the large reuse of existing 25G technology, with order-4 pulse amplitude modulation(PAM-4) modulation. The optical industry is currently adapting 50G for mobile network
use cases, exactly like it happened for 25G when the corresponding electrical SerDes speed
appeared in RAN products around 2018. Initiatives like MOPA can contribute to collectively
acknowledging, driving, and speeding up this adaptation process, starting from the existing
datacom standards and identifying additional requirements for the mobile networks use
cases.
As is clear from the previous paragraph, mobile transport is a big and growing market for
optical components. Nevertheless, features and prices of these optical components are
driven by the datacom market, as well as the specification work carried out by standard
developments organizations (SDO) and multi-source agreements (MSA) industrial
consortia. This is a paradox considering that telecom applications, including mobiletransport, approximately take 60% of the optical components market, with datacomabsorbing the remaining 40%. As optical pluggables are important functions in the overall
5G system and an increasing part of the overall cost, the availability of those opticalpluggables at the right time and cost is critical to fulfilling the 5G global deployments.
Consequently, optical solutions optimized for RAN are required. For example, measurements
on 1.6 million fronthaul links from RAN installations worldwide showed that 95% of opticallinks are below 1.3 km. This shows the need for a very cheap short distance single-mode
optical transmitter, standardized in due time by the optics industry allowing for an active
eco-system. As another example, tunable optical transmitters are highly beneficial in a
RAN, since they allow the use of a single type of optical component for all the wavelengthmultiplexed optical channels running over one fiber. However, current tunable transmitters
are conceived for high-capacity transport systems, able to carry 48 or 96 different
wavelengths over the same fiber. RANs typically need a lower number of wavelengths, forexample, 12 or 24, that would allow reducing cost by reducing volume manufacturing tests
for existing grids (“narrowly tunable”) or defining new grids with coarser frequency spacing,
reducing the frequency stability requirement of the tunable laser and its cost.
Generating a shared and common view of optical solutions for mobile transport acrossall relevant industries is an effective way to secure that the right optical components,
with a consistent and focused feature set, are available at the right time and the rightcost for the 5G buildouts. Previously, such a common view is mostly lacking and this has
several implications: too many different architectures and technologies are deployed,leading to market fragmentation; operators, system vendors, and optical components
suppliers struggle to focus on the most relevant needs; and the right solution may not becommercially available at the right time and the right cost point. More awareness of radiospecific requirements, and enabling optical technologies, would mitigate the consequencesof using RAN components that are not ideal from a cost viewpoint and cannot fulfill radiospecific requirements. There are several examples of important requirements specific to themobile transport network. One is the capability to tolerate the wide climate conditions ofoutside antenna locations. This means that the equipment must be able to comply with theso-called industrial temperatures of –40 to +85 °C. Considering that antennas are located6

Optimized Optical Solutions for Mobile Transport Networks
Introduction
March 2022

7

outdoor, on high towers, it is problematic to use heavy heatsinks or other advanced heatdissipation mechanisms (for example, liquid cooling). Outdoor radios have small heatsinks
to allow convectional cooling. But since customers continuously ask for smaller-sized radioswith additional RF output power, the radios and future SFPs get hotter and the need forhigh temp SFPs with less SFP power increases. This generates the need for low power
optical devices that can operate at high temperatures (85°C at the pluggable case), in somecases even extreme (close to 100°C). The requirement especially impacts the lasers at the
optical transmitters, the most temperature-sensitive device in a pluggable. Conversely,
high temperature operation is not needed in data center equipment located in a protectedenvironment. Another important mobile requirement is the need for long life spans, typically
15 years for the duration of the overall network service, to avoid costly tower climbs due torepairs. Furthermore, typical link distance and attenuation are different for datacom and
RAN. Datacom consists of short (<1km long) point-to-point optical links between servers,
switches, and storage units while mobile transport requires longer distances, up to 40
kilometers or even more. This, and the presence of passive optical components, such as
OADMs and power splitters, increases the link attenuation and requires transceivers able
to cope with higher attenuation than in datacom or the use of optical amplifiers. These
optical technologies exist, widespread in long-haul fiber networks, but need a dramatic cost
reduction (and, in the case of optical amplifiers, also a significant reduction of size) to be
used in mobile transport.
Table 1 provides a high-level comparison between optics for data centers, for 5G Backhaul(Figure 2), and for LLS connections provided through distributed or centralized RAN (DRAN
and CRAN, respectively).
Characteristics

Data center(intra-office)

5G DRAN LLS

5G CRAN LLS

5G Backhaul

Fiber distance≤ 2 km≤ 2 km≤ 15 km (20 km
extreme cases)≤ 40 km, (80 km
extreme cases)

Fiber supply

Abundant

Abundant

ScarceScarceData rates

100, 400 Gbps

25G

25G

25, 100G

Sync

Not critical

Very Critical

Very Critical

CriticalLifetime

3-5 years

15 years

15 years

10-15 years

Environment

Indoor, tempcontrolled(C-temp)

Outdoor, I-temp Outdoor, I-temp Outdoor, I-temp

Service cost

Low

Very highVery highHigh

Deplyment
model

Green field

Brown field

Brown field

Brown field

Table 1. Optics requirements for data centers and RAN

Optimized Optical Solutions for Mobile Transport Networks
Introduction
March 2022

The particular features that RANs demand to optical networks are often underestimated,leading to the belief that universal optical components exist, which may fulfill any use casein any application domain, ranging from telecom network to datacom. This is the so called
Open HW (optical HW in, this case) paradigm. According to it, the generation of a well
written and complete set of specifications would be enough to fully define multi-vendor
interoperable equipment, which can be produced on large scale by any industry of therelevant sector. A too strict but unrealistic interpretation of this paradigm may spread themyth that optical components are “consumer” products that can be bought and installed
regardless of the target application and with little technology validation, system design,
and integration tests. In reality, this is not the case. Though standardization is necessary
and is the foundation of communications, any specification, for example, a set of opticalparameters for a transceiver, is by definition an abstracted and simplified representation ofits behavior, which will never characterize it completely. Actually, telecom systems vendors
play a primary role in the specification, qualification, and testing of optical components,
ensuring their compatibility with a variety of mobile transport use cases, based on
operators’ and service providers’ deployments worldwide. This avoids designs specific toa single region or service provider, with consequent market fragmentation. In addition, it
prevents the common misunderstanding that there are optical components good for any
application, from datacom to mobile networks. This mitigates the risk, for carrier service
providers and system vendors to lose quality control and reliability, with a consequential
increase of operational costs for troubleshooting. This risk is further increased by today’s
fragmented market, where many small optical components vendors coexist and compete.
Pushed by cost reduction needs, they may tend to significantly shorten the time to marketof their devices, at the expense of exhaustive qualification and calibrations tests. Moreawareness of radio-specific requirements, and enabling optical technologies, helps in
mitigating the consequences of using the RAN components that are not ideal from both
performance and cost viewpoints.
Blending the expertise in optical and radio access networking: the MOPA approach
The discussion carried out in the previous sections of this paper demonstrates the necessity
to streamline the optical industry’s efforts towards the optics requirements and needs of the
5G deployments. The first initiative in this direction is the Mobile Optical Pluggables (MOPA)
technical paper [4], by five market-leading companies (Ericsson, Nokia, II-VI, Lumentum,and Sumitomo Electric) This paper includes the most important high-level requirements
and optical solutions for 5G. Initiatives like MOPA debunk the myth that one-size-fitsall components exist and reaffirm the importance of the testing and qualification work
performed by system vendors that have a broad and global view of network scenarios.
Without this necessary step, network operators would face greater risks of adopting opticalsolutions that are not optimized from a total cost of ownership (TCO) and future-outlook
perspective. Currently, there are plenty of standardization bodies, industrial fora, and MSAs
dealing with optical components, systems, and networks (Figure 5).

8Optimized Optical Solutions for Mobile Transport Networks
Introduction
March 2022

Standardization bodies

Industrial fora

9

MSA's

Figure 5. : Standardization organizations overview

However, no industry standards organization has the mandate, scope, or cross-section ofexpertise found in MOPA. The mission and specifications of MOPA bring into play a unique
set of participants, blending the expertise in optical networking, optical components, andRAN networking to form a group uniquely qualified to address the issues of the modern
optical RAN. Existing optical networking standards organizations such as IEEE 802.3,
ITU-T Study Group (SG) 15, and OIF are focused specifically on optical technology, optical
networking, and optical implementation agreements. Most of their work focuses on opticalinterfaces and photonics, the application of which is targeted toward data centers and data
center interconnect. While there is overlap between the applications, mobile networking
has an additional and different requirement, as discussed in the previous section, given theunique operating environments and conditions facing RAN equipment. These requirements
are often insufficiently addressed in the existing standards organizations. Where there
is attention to mobile networking in these organizations, it is limited to general opticalinterface technology and speeds, usually with specific regional preferences, versus what
component requirements it takes to implement a RAN with these technologies. MOPA takeson the task of specifically looking at the optical networking and use cases of the modern
and emerging RAN from 3GPP, highlighting the uniqueness of the requirements and what it
takes to meet them.
Such an improved common understanding of optical solutions for RAN can help systemvendors, pluggable vendors, and mobile transport operators in mitigating risks of adopting
solutions that are not optimized from a total cost of ownership and future-outlook
perspective, Such a common understanding and focus can be achieved by defining alimited number of uses cases (“optical blueprints”) for optical components in RAN. A mobile
optical blueprint is a network solution description documenting a use case with the opticalpluggables and passive optical components implementing that use case, with high-level
optical requirements. Figure 6 shows a simple example of an optical blueprint, taken from
the MOPA technical paper, for a distributed RAN (DRAN).

Optimized Optical Solutions for Mobile Transport Networks
Introduction
March 2022

10

A table with high-level, key requirements
2 km RU-DU Direct parallel fibers Blueprint
Typical use cases

DRAN DU to RU; DU to cell site router intra-site; DU and/or cellsite router to microwave element intra-site. Up to 2 km

Distance

Typ Min 0 km; Typ. Max: 2 km

Channel Insertion Loss 2.8 dB @1.3 um
Mode, Nr ch.,Wavelengths

Dual fiber: O-band 1310 nm. BiDi O-band 1270nm/1330 nm.

Temp. Range/Class

I-tempLifespan

15 years

Data rates

10 Gbps

25 GbpsForm factor

SFP+

SFP28

FEC

No

Yes

Power ClassPC2 (1.5 W)

PC2 (1.5 W)

Pluggables codes

10G-2km-O-G-1-2-SFP+

25G-2km-O-G-1-2-SFP28

Key technologies

10G-2km-O-B2-2-1-SFP+

25G-2km-O-B2-2-1-SFP28-

Low cost 25G DFB (e.g. reuse
10G 10 km). New low-cost tech
like 25G FP

A solution illustration
LLS:
CPRI/eCPRI
Cell site

RU

DU+CU

0-2 km
2.8 dB@1.3 um
Figure 6. Example of optical blueprint for a DRAN

Pkt

Optimized Optical Solutions for Mobile Transport Networks
Introduction
March 2022

11

In general, a blueprint consists of a solution illustration and a table with high-level, key
requirements. In this example, it refers to the short link (0-2 km) between RU and DU in a
DRAN and the optical interfaces at its edges. In a DRAN, DU and CU functionalities collapse
in the same equipment, connected to the RU by means of an LLS fronthaul interface(CPRI or eCPRI). It is out of the scope of this paper to illustrate in detail the content of thetable in Figure 6. What is important to emphasize here is that it contains all the essential
information to evaluate the R&D effort required to pluggable vendors to develop opticalpluggables compliant with a blueprint and the information necessary to system vendors tointegrate those pluggables in their equipment. Optical blueprints also provide SDOs withthe key inputs to develop a full-fledged specification. Examples of information useful topluggable vendors are the pluggable power class and the form factor. Examples of standard
relevant information are the wavelength plan and the distance. Optical blueprints as theones described in the MOPA paper cover all globally relevant deployment variants for the
optical links in distributed, centralized, and virtualized RAN (DRAN, CRAN, and VRAN,
respectively).

10 km RU-DU, CWDM passive

RU

RU
DU

RU

15 km RU-DU, DWDM passive wavelength multiplexed
links over a single ﬁber

RU

Cell site0-15 kmCell site

CRAN Hub site

Semi-active 48 wavelengths C-band DWDM

0-15 km

RU

RU
DU

6 wavelengths low-cost passive CWDM

Cell site #N(N is typ. 4-8)

CRAN Hub site

Direct parallel ﬁbers

RU

26 dB

17.8 dB @1.55 um
Deployment
ﬂexibility

DU

15 km RU-DU, packet multiplexing, dual or bidi ﬁber

15 km RU-DU, DWDM wavelength multiplexed bus
over a single ﬁber

DU

RAN Hub site0-15 km
9.0 dB@1.3 um

XX dB

RU

RU

RU

DU

WDM

Cell site #1

CRAN Hub site

6 wavelengths low-cost passive CWDM

RU

0-15 km

RU
RU

RU

Cell site

15 km RU-DU, direct parallel ﬁbers,
dual and bidi ﬁber

15 km RU-DU, semi-active DWDM wavelength
multiplexed links over a single ﬁber

0-10 km
XX dB

RU

Cell site

Cell site #1

2-15 km
Pkt
WDM
9.0 dB@1.3 um

Pkt

DU
WDM

CRAN Hub site

CRAN Hub site

Passive 48 wavelengths C-band DWDM
point to multipoint variant

Direct parallel ﬁbers

Figure 7. Examples of optical blueprints

As an example, Figure 7 illustrates the possible deployment scenarios for CRAN, each one
mapped into a blueprint. This allows covering a variety of situations as regards network
topology, aggregate capacity, type of carried traffic, etc., using the optimal technology foreach situation. For example, direct parallel fibers with cost-effective “grey” pluggables (i.e.,
pluggables where the transmitted wavelength is not stabilized to save costs) will be used infiber abundant scenarios while fiber-scarce scenarios require the use of dense wavelength
division multiplexing (DWDM) technology.
The definitions of optical blueprints will result in a clear view of optical components needsfor operators, systems vendors, and optical components suppliers and will encourage an
eco-system for timely, cost-efficient, and optimized mobile transport architectures.

Optimized Optical Solutions for Mobile Transport Networks
Introduction
March 2022

It may happen that an optical blueprint, defined based on operators’ requirements for
future network upgrades, is not feasible with current optical technologies. Even in thiscase, however, the optical blueprint will help to understand what important technologies,
capabilities, and components that are not yet available will need to be developed as key
enablers for future RAN deployments. Relevant examples are optical transceivers operating
at high temperatures, cost effective high-capacity transceivers, pluggable optical amplifiers
and fiber chromatic dispersion compensators, cost-effective tunable filters, and wavelengthswitches. This will further help steer the optical industry in a RAN-friendly direction, seizing
unexploited business opportunities.

12Optimized Optical Solutions for Mobile Transport Networks
Conclusion
March 2022

Conclusion
It is observed that generic optics, developed for applications different from RANs, may
not fit the requirements of the mobile transport network. Optical components natively
conceived for radio access and based on technologies driven by its requirements (right
optics at the right time and the right cost) would accelerate the pace at which RANs are
deployed and decrease the relative cost of the optics as part of the total RAN solution. All
industry players (communication service providers, system vendors, and optical pluggablevendors) can gain from a coopetitive approach where a common and shared view of thefeatures that the RAN requires to optical components is built first, to foster a bigger andless fragmented market, and only then the usual competition phase starts. It would makeit easier, and with lower risk, to estimate and plan the evolution of networks and products.
Moreover, R&D work can be done faster and more effectively with reduced risk and a better
ecosystem with more stable and sustainable supply chains can be put in place.

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Optimized Optical Solutions for Mobile Transport Networks
Glossary
March 2022

Glossary
Optical Add Drop Multiplexer (OADM): it is an optical device having an input port, receiving
a set of wavelength multiplexed optical channels, some drop ports where some of thesewavelengths are individually extracted to be received, add ports where optical channels
emitting at the same dropped wavelengths can be reinserted to be transmitted into thedirection of the input optical wavelength, and an output port where the added wavelengths
and the input wavelengths that have not been dropped are multiplexed.
Pluggable: in its simplest form, a pluggable optical transceiver, or simply pluggable, is a
device that has an optical output, for signal transmission into an optical fiber, an optical
input, for receiving a signal from another optical fiber, an input electrical pin, for providing
the modulating signal to the optical transmitter and an output pin, providing the photodetected signal. Other electrical pins are used for power supply, control, diagnostics,
etc. All are included in a small form package (SFP) that can be plugged into hosting
equipment such as a radio unit, a baseband unit, a packet switch, a router, etc. Industrial
multi-source agreements specify all relevant characteristics of a pluggable (mechanics,
signal format, power consumption, and so on) making it compatible with a large varietyof hosting units. There are several variants of the basic pluggable scheme. In bidirectional(BiDi) pluggables, optical transmitter and receiver are coupled to the same optical fiberusing a duplexer, integrated into the same package. In other variants, the pluggable hosts
several transmitters and receivers, each transmitter emitting at a different wavelength.
The wavelengths are then multiplexed by means of an optical filter, also included in the
package.

Figure 8. An example of pluggable

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Optimized Optical Solutions for Mobile Transport Networks
Glossary
March 2022

Tunable transmitters: they are optical transmitters for which it is possible to adjust thefrequency of the emitted optical carrier, manually or automatically (self-tuning). The
frequency can vary over a continuous range or a discrete frequency grid (typically, the 100
GHz or the 50 GHz grids defined by ITU-T). The use of tunable transmitters in wavelength
division multiplexing systems allows using one transceiver variant for all the wavelengths ofthe spectrum, simplifying inventory and network maintenance.

15

Optimized Optical Solutions for Mobile Transport Networks
Acronyms
March 2022

Acronyms
BiDi: Bidirectional (pluggable)
BoM: Bill of Material
CU: Centralized Unit
DCI: Data Center Interconnect
DRAN: Distributed radio access network
DU: Distributed Unit
DWDM: Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing
HLS: High Layer Split
LLS: Low Layer Split
MSA: Multi-Source Agreements
OADM: Optical Add-Drop Multiplexers
PAM-4: Pulse Amplitude Modulation, order 4
RF: Radio Frequency
RU: Radio Unit
SDO: Standard Developments Organizations
SERDES: Serializer/De-serializer
SFP: Small Form Pluggable
TCO: Total Cost of Ownership

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Optimized Optical Solutions for Mobile Transport Networks
References
March 2022

References
1. https://www.ericsson.com/en/blog/2021/10/exponential-capability-growthexponential-potential
2. https://www.ericsson.com/4ad7e9/assets/local/reports-papers/mobility-report/
documents/2021/ericsson-mobility-report-november-2021.pdf
3. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/technology-media-and-telecommunications/ourinsights/the-road-to-5g-the-inevitable-growth-of-infrastructure-cost
4. https://www.ericsson.com/en/mobile-transport/mopa

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Optimized Optical Solutions for Mobile Transport Networks
Authors
March 2022

Authors

Fabio Cavaliere is an Expert in photonic systems and technologies at Ericsson, where
he is responsible for the standardization strategy in optical communications. Fabio is theauthor of about 130 filed patent applications, 100 publications on optical networks, andthe book “Photonics applications for radio systems and Networks (Artech House, Boston,
USA). In 24 years of professional experience, his research activity encompassed radio
access networks, fiber access, high-speed optical transmission, and integrated photonics.
Fabio is in the technical program committees of international conferences on opticalcommunications, guest editor of the Applied Science Special Issue on Optical Networks,
and editor of the ITU-T Recommendation G.698.4. He is in the Strategic Advisory Boardof the European Quantum Flagship, the Board of Stakeholders of Photonics 21, and theExpert Advisory Board of Networld Europe. Fabio Cavaliere received his Dr.Ing. Degree in
Telecommunications Engineering from University of Pisa, Italy, in 1996.

Stefan Dahlfort has worked in the tele¬com industry for more than 25 years. He started at
an incumbent telecom operator and founded a start-up before joining Ericsson in 2007 as amanager for fiber to the x research. Having held different management positions in researchand networks systems and technology in the transport area, he is now based in Santa Clarain Silicon Valley as a product development leader. He holds an MSc in Electrical Engineeringand a PhD in Optical Networking from KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm,
Sweden.

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Optimized Optical Solutions for Mobile Transport Networks
Authors
March 2022

Antonio Tartaglia is a System Manager and Expert in photonics, focusing on opticalsolutions for RAN and RAN transport networks. He has worked with optics in a variety ofroles, from production engineering to hardware and optical systems design, and holds an
MSc in Electronics Engineering.

Joakim Bergström is a Senior Expert in RAN standardization at Business Area Networks. He
holds an MSc in electrical engineering from KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm,and joined Ericsson in 1998. He has more than 20 years of experience in RAN-related
standardization and has worked with 3G, 4G and 5G radio access technologies, in addition
to RAN-related standardization work done in the areas of O&M, transport, spectrum
regulations, and open source.

19

Optimized Optical Solutions for Mobile Transport Networks
Authors
March 2022

Anna Tavemark joined Ericsson in 1995 and works since 2018 as a Technical Coordinatorwithin Radio System and Technology, focusing on the requirement and control of opticalpluggable SFPs.
She started as a designer of RF parts of Antenna near solutions including RF cavity filtersfrom early NMT and 2G to 3G Radios. She has also been a manager for UL frontend
Radio design and has since 2013 been part of the Radio System organization working as
system lead for new 4G and 5G Radios and also as predevelopment leader or member forevaluations and research studies of new optical solutions. She has an MSc in ElectrophysicalEngineering from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden.

Pontus Åkerström is Head of Systems in PDU Transport in Ericsson. He has more than 20
years of experience in the telecom transport domain and is focusing on RAN near transport,with the objectives to define technologies and systems to accommodate significant RAN
capacity increase, de-risk complex network evolution, and control operational cost withmanagement and automation. He holds a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineeringfrom Chalmers University in Gothenburg, Sweden.

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Optimized Optical Solutions for Mobile Transport Networks
Authors
March 2022

David Sinicrope is currently a Director of Transport Standards, leading packet and opticaltransport standards activity at Ericsson’s Business Unit Networks. His current focus isstandardization and strategic product management in the areas of mobile transport
including IP, Ethernet, MPLS, optical, and their use in current and evolving mobile
networks. His career includes 30+ years of data and telecommunications experience instandardization, product management, architecture, system design, and development.
David currently serves as Vice President of the Broadband Forum Board of Directors and as
Access and Transport Architecture Work Area Director in the Broadband Forum TechnicalCommittee. He has previously served as the Board Vice Chairman of the IP/MPLS Forumand was also a long-time Chair in the Technical Committee. Prior to his current position in
Ericsson, David led standards for Ericsson’s Development Unit IP and Broadband (formerly
Redback Networks). He was also with Ericsson IP Infrastructure Inc. (formerly Torrent
Networks) as a systems architect leading router and MPLS development.

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