Toward 6G Optical Fronthaul: A Survey on Enabling Technologies and Research Perspectives
Abdulhalim Fayad, Tibor Cinkler, Jacek Rak
TL;DR
This survey analyzes enabling optical fronthaul technologies for 5G and 6G, arguing optical transport is essential to meet 6G's stringent capacity and latency. It reviews P2P fiber, PON, and FSO options, compares splitting architectures (8 to 1 and 7.x), and discusses O-RAN openness. It also covers cutting-edge topics such as SDN, SDM, energy efficiency, and security, along with recent projects. It outlines future research directions and lessons learned to guide robust, scalable 6G fronthaul deployment.
Abstract
The anticipated launch of the Sixth Generation (6G) of mobile technology by 2030 will mark a significant milestone in the evolution of wireless communication, ushering in a new era with advancements in technology and applications. 6G is expected to deliver ultra-high data rates and almost instantaneous communications, with three-dimensional coverage for everything, everywhere, and at any time. In the 6G Radio Access Networks (RANs) architecture, the Fronthaul connects geographically distributed Remote Units (RUs) to Distributed/Digital Units (DUs)pool. Among all possible solutions for implementing 6G fronthaul, optical technologies will remain crucial in supporting the 6G fronthaul, as they offer high-speed, low-latency, and reliable transmission capabilities to meet the 6G strict requirements. This survey provides an explanation of the 5G and future 6G optical fronthaul concept and presents a comprehensive overview of the current state of the art and future research directions in 6G optical fronthaul, highlighting the key technologies and research perspectives fundamental in designing fronthaul networks for 5G and future 6G. Additionally, it examines the benefits and drawbacks of each optical technology and its potential applications in 6G fronthaul networks. This paper aims to serve as a comprehensive resource for researchers and industry professionals about the current state and future prospects of 6G optical fronthaul technologies, facilitating the development of robust and efficient wireless networks of the future.