Abstract: “Significant milestones in the way to transform 4G LTE to 5G NR are analyzed in detail. It is shown that a number of the important tasks can be successfully implemented by a microwave photonic or/and millimeter-wave photonic approach to design network and terminal radio equipment. Short descriptions of microwave photonics as an interdisciplinary scientific and technological field, classification of the key elements and devices, and typical layouts of microwave-photonics-based radio-frequency transmitter and receiver units are highlighted. A version of cost- and power-efficient 5G remote station based on millimeter-wave photonic approach is proposed and discussed. As an application example, 5G fiber-wireless network for a regional-level area is design.”

Keywords: fifth, generation, communication, network, Radioover, Fiber, architecture, remote, station, microwave, photonics, millimeter, wave, photonics