Project Description

Heterogeneous C-RAN is considered in this project as a promising paradigm for 5G wireless communication systems to take full advantage of both HetNets and C-RANs. Embedding cloud computing technology into HetNets enables to realize the cooperative signal processing and networking functionalities. Despite various attractive features of C-RAN, one of the main challenges for implementing heterogeneous C-RAN is the stringent requirement of high capacity and low latency fronthaul connections between RRHs and BBUs. A hybrid communication network that integrates the wireless millimeter wave (mmWave) and free space optical (FSO) communications represents a promising solution to fulfill the capacity and latency requirements for heterogeneous C-RAN fronthaul transport network. This promising technology has many advantages over the traditional fiber solutions in terms of implementing cost and time saving. By integrating the complementary features characterizing of both FSO and mmW networks, the hybrid network will be able to tackle the shortcomings of these technologies that manifest when it operates individually. Also, to overcome the impact of severe weather conditions on the performance of hybrid FSO/mmW network, the concept of dynamic cooperative between hybrid FSO/mmW nodes (RRHs) is used.