IEEE 802.16's P802.16r Project: Small Cell Backhaul with Carrier Ethernet

As the spectral efficiency of wireless links approaches its theoretical limits, and with the data traffic requirements continuing to grow rapidly, cell density and cooperation among base stations must increase in order to further improve network capacity and efficiently manage radio resources. Multi-tier access network architecture consisting of macrocells and a variety of overlaid smaller cells provides an approach towards solving the problem, allowing low cost per bit and efficiently utilizing all spectral resources in the system. Some such systems will be deployed using radio access technology outside the realm of IEEE 802.16. In such cases, IEEE Std 802.16, as enhanced, can provide out-of-band wireless backhaul to the small cells, allowing those cells to be positioned for optimal performance without regard to the local availability of high-capacity wired backhaul. The resulting system design will offer improvements in spectral efficiency needed to support the rapidly expanding demand for mobile broadband access.

IEEE 802.16 Working Group on Broadband Wireless Access Standards is developing the P802.16r Project on a Small Cell Backhaul (SCB). The resulting amendment to IEEE Std 802.16 will specify enhancements to the WirelessMAN-OFDMA air interface for effective use in wireless fixed and nomadic Ethernet transport, including small cell backhaul applications, providing core network services to radio access networks. It will focus on backhaul operating in licensed bands below 6 GHz, in which the backhaul radio operates far enough outside the band of the small cells that interference is negligible. It will add 256QAM, 512QAM, and 1024QAM options in both uplink and downlink, with optional 4x4 MIMO in both directions, along with further enhancements that address small cell backhaul efficiency. Significant latency improvements will be attained. Enhancements to the Convergence Sublayer specifications will be incorporated as necessary for support of Carrier Ethernet 2.0 backhaul requirements. The functionalities required for small cell backhaul support, including new functionalities but not necessarily all those included the baseline standard, will be specified explicitly.

• Core current documents of interest
• session and teleconference schedule: future
• session and teleconference schedule: past
• Call for Contributions: IEEE Std 802.16r Amendment for Small Cell Backhaul
• Draft Architecture and Requirements document
• summary report of previous meeting

• project documents
• documents assigned to project for consideration