IEEE Publishes IEEE 802.1CM-2018 Standard Addressing Time-Sensitive Networking for Fronthaul

Standard defines profiles that select features, options, configurations, defaults, protocols, and procedures of bridges, stations, and LANs that are necessary to build networks capable of transporting time-sensitive fronthaul streams.

PISCATAWAY, NJ, 29 Nov. 2018 – IEEE, the world's largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for humanity, and the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA), today announced the publishing and availability of IEEE 802.1CM™-2018—IEEE Standard for Local and metropolitan area networks—Time-Sensitive Networking for Fronthaul. The new standard is the first available IEEE standard developed to connect a cellular network’s radio equipment to its remote controller via a packet network, in particular, over a bridged IEEE 802.3^TM Ethernet network.

“As we see carriers and operators pursuing 5G technologies, and a wide range of new possibilities for next-generation mobile applications, IEEE 802.1CM represents a key pioneering step for providing reliable packet transport within 5G networks,” said Glenn Parsons, chair, IEEE 802.1 Working Group. “The standard’s development, in cooperation with multiple standards organizations, demonstrates how IEEE-SA is committed to work collaboratively and respond quickly to industry demand—in this case for packet-based fronthaul.”

IEEE 802.1CM supports fronthaul interfaces such as the recently published eCPRI specification to provide Ethernet-based fronthaul. IEEE 802.1CM has been developed in collaboration with the CPRI Cooperation that contributed the requirements of a fronthaul transport network. IEEE 802.1CM describes how these requirements can be met by a fronthaul bridged network including synchronization solutions developed by Study Group 15 of ITU’s Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T), whose input also contributed to the development of IEEE 802.1CM.

IEEE 802.1CM is available for purchase at the IEEE Standards Store.

Deployment of technology defined by IEEE 802® standards is already globally pervasive, driven by the ever-growing needs of data networks around the world. New application areas are constantly being considered that might leverage IEEE 802 standards in their networks from wireless, through twisted-pair cabling, to fiber-optic cabling solutions. To better address the needs of all of these areas, IEEE 802 standards are constantly evolving and expanding. The success of IEEE 802 standards—from their inception through today—has been their fair, open and transparent development process.

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