OCT 2014
VOL. 16 NO. 5 ISSUE 154
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VIP Voices
Tiscali:
Consolidating a Level Playing
Field in the Telecom Market
Unitel:
Delivering Advanced Communication
Technologies to All Laotians
Special Topic: Broadband Access
FTTM Enables Rapid and
Flexible LTE Deployment
Tech Forum
1G to the Home: Vision and Initiation
Andrea Podda, CTO of Tiscali
07
CONTENTS
ZTE TECHNOLOGIES OCT 2014
VIP Voices
07
Tiscali: Consolidating a Level Playing
Field in the Telecom Market
Tiscali is an Italian telecom company founded in 1998 in
Sardinia. After the liberalization of the telecom market
in Italy, Tiscali became one of the main alternative
operators in Europe. Tiscali sees itself as an independent
telecom operator, and this characteristic has contributed
greatly to its success. What makes Tiscali such a strong
player? Where are the growth opportunities for Tiscali
today? Reporter Zhu Yiwen interviewed Andrea Podda,
CTO of Tiscali.
11
Tiscali: Consolidating a Level Playing Field
in the Telecom Market
Reporter: Zhu Yiwen
11
Unitel: Delivering Advanced Communication
Technologies to All Laotians
Reporters: Zhu Tao and Zhang Zhe
Tech Forum
14
1G to the Home: Vision and Initiation
By Heng Yunjun
Special Topic: Broadband Access
17
20
23
25
FTTM Enables Rapid and Flexible LTE
Deployment
By Qin Yewen
vFTTH Enables a Unified FTTx Management
U-Cable: A Big Leap for Cable Operators
By Zhang Haijun
By Wang Xinsheng
FTTdp: Tailored to Operator Needs
1
ZTE TECHNOLOGIES OCT 2014
By Shi Jie
ZTE TECHNOLOGIES
17
14
27
29
Edited By Shenzhen Editorial Office,
Strategy Planning Department
Editor-in-Chief: Sun Zhenge
Deputy Editor-in-Chief: Huang Xinming
Editorial Director: Liu Yang
Executive Editor-in-Chief: Yue Lihua
Editor: Zhang Ying
Circulation Manager: Wang Pingping
China Mobile: Building a National Backbone Transport Network in
Western China
By Alateng Buhe
Editorial Office
Eight-Antenna LTE FDD System of Xuzhou Telecom
By Wang Bin and Li Qianghua
Solutions
31
ZXTOP 510: A Complete Solution for Intelligent Network
Planning and Design
33
Address: NO. 55, Hi-tech Road South,
Shenzhen, P.R.China
Postcode: 518075
Tel: +86-755-26775211
Fax: +86-755-26775217
Website: wwwen.zte.com.cn/en/about/
publications
Email: [email protected]
By Li Fei
ZTE’s New-Generation OTN Solutions
By Zhu Xuetao
Press Clipping
36
Chairman: Zhao Xianming Vice Chairmen: Chen Jane, Xu Huijun,
Zhu Jinyun
Members: Bai Yanmin, Cui Li, Feng
Haizhou, Heng Yunjun, Huang Liqing,
Huang Xinming, Jiang Hua, Li Aijun,
Li Guangyong, Lin Rong, Li Weipu, Lu
Ping, Lu Wei, Lv Abin, Sun Zhenge,
Wang Xiaoming, Wang Xiyu, Xin
Shengli, Xu Ming, Yang Zhaojiang, Ye
Ce, Yu Yifang, Zhang Shizhuang
Sponsor: ZTE Corporation
Success Stories
27
Editorial Board
ZTE Is the Fastest Growing of the World’s Top Three LTE Suppliers
A technical
magazine that keeps
up with the latest
industry trends,
communicates
leading technologies
and solutions, and
shares stories of our
customer success
Source: lteconference.wordpress.com
OCT 2014 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES
2
Z TE News
ZTE to Sustain Triple-Digit
Profit Growth in Nine-Month Forecast
20 August 2014, Shenzhen ― ZTE
forecast that net profit will more than
triple in the first nine months as the
strong momentum in the company’s 4G
LTE business is sustained.
Net profit attributable to shareholders of
the listed company will be between RMB 1.7
billion and RMB 1.9 billion in the first nine
months, an increase of between 208.2% to
244.5% from a year earlier, according to
guidance released by the company today.
ZTE also reported today that first-half
net profit increased 263.9% to RMB 1.13
billion. Six-month basic earnings per share
was RMB 0.33, while revenue increased to
RMB 37.7 billion.
The latest forecast by ZTE reflected
st re ng t h i n reve nue f rom net work
contracts and ongoing improvements
to contract prof itability in the f irst
nine months, supported by continued
investments by customers in 4G networks
in China. The company expects to post
a year-on-year increase in revenue in the
first nine months, as ZTE reaps returns
on its investment in the development of
key strategic products such as network
routers and chipsets. The company
also expects gains from more effective
foreign exchange management.
During the first half of 2014, ZTE
repor ted rapid grow th in operating
revenue from carrier networks in China
as the company played a leading role in
supporting massive constructions of 4G
networks. Gross profit margin improved
substantially as the company adhered to
its strategy to focus on servicing network
contracts with higher profitability. ZTE
posted positive operating cash flow in
3
ZTE TECHNOLOGIES OCT 2014
the first six months, for the first time in
the past ten years. Operating revenue
from handset terminals in the domestic
market fell in the first six months.
Geographical Distribution
In the first six months, ZTE reported
operating revenue of RMB 19.26 billion
from the domestic market, accounting for
51.1% of the Group’s overall operating
revenue. Leveragi ng oppor t u n it ies
presented by the large-scale deployment
of 4G networks, the Group committed
t o ef fo r t s t o d e velo p b u s i n e s s i n
e me rg i ng new se ct or s such a s t he
Mobile Internet and Cloud Computing
under its M-ICT Strategy. Innovative
solutions were launched with enhanced
in-house capabilities, while strategic
cooperation with carriers was conducted
in a practical manner to maintain the
Group’s dominant position and increase
its market shares, laying the foundations
for sustainable long-term development.
ZTE reported operating revenue of
RMB 18.44 billion from the international
market, accounting for 48.9% of the
Group’s overall operating revenue. In
adherence to the strategy of focusing on
major populous nations and mainstream
global ca r r ier s, t he G roup f u r t her
optimized its market profile to achieve
stable operations and quality growth.
Distribution by Products
In the first six months, the Group
reported operating revenue of RMB21.84
billion for carrier networks. Operating
revenue for handset terminals amounted
to RMB 10.41 billion. Operating revenue
for telecom software systems, services
and other products amounted to RMB
5.46 billion.
In connection with wireless products,
ongoing innovation and enhancement
in product competitiveness provided
t h e d r iv i n g fo r c e b e h i n d g r ow t h .
For example, the Group’s innovative
Cloud Radio solution has boosted sales
of 4G products in the domestic and
inter national markets, especially in
China, where the Group continued to
assume a leading position in 4G product
tenders, with effective growth in market
shares. In the traditional 2G/3G markets,
stable growth was achieved as the Group
continued to optimize its market profile.
In anticipation of future developments
in wireless communications, the Group
issued a white paper on 5G technologies
and designated the development of 5G
technologies as a strategic project.
In connection with wireline and
optical communications products, the
Group maintained its technological edge
and ability to innovate products in close
tandem with the development trend of
the broadband market. In connection
with cloud computing and ICT products,
the G roup also made sig n if icant
breakthroughs in cloud computing/big
data and data center products.
ZTE mobile devices was established
as a standalone operation in the group,
focused on the shift to a more consumeroriented and internet-driven approach.
Resources are mainly committed to the
creation of premium handsets, applications
and software in a bid to enhance the
Group’s product competitiveness and
Z TE News
user experience. During the first half
of 2014, the Group launched a variety
of premium handset models targeted at
different consumer groups. The Group’s
brand recognition among consumers has
been improved following vigorous efforts
to develop new sales channels such as
e-commerce platforms.
Technology Innovations
Creating value for customers has
always represented a core principle of
the Group. We are committed to value
creation for mutual development with
ou r customers th rough in novations
in technologies and products, on the
basis of a profound understanding of
customer requirements and expectations.
At the beginning of 2014, the Group
announced the M-ICT strategy, with
the aim of becoming an enabler in the
M-ICT era that facilitates the creation
of value through information and shifts
from customer focus to user focus. In
terms of product strategy, the Group was
focused on broadband-based 4G products,
including wireless, wireline, terminal and
broadband businesses. Government and
corporate networks and services, a sector
holding out enormous market potential,
also became one of our focuses for
development. We have also established
the “CGO Laboratory” as an engine
and incubator for future innovations to
develop new businesses and sectors.
The Group maintains an an nual
R&D budget equivalent to approximately
10% of its sales revenue. The Group has
established 18 R&D centers in China,
the United States, Sweden, France and
other regions, as well as more than 10
joint innovation centers in association
with leading carriers to ensure success in
the market through better assessment of
market demand and customer experience.
As at 30 June 2014, the Group held
patent assets of over 53,000 items,
including granted patents of over 17,000
items and PCT inter national patent
applications for over 15,000 items. With
memberships at more than 70 international
st a nd a rd i z at ion orga n i z at ion s a nd
forums, convenorships and presenter roles
at major international standardization
organizations taken up by over 30 experts
from the Group, the presentation of over
28,000 research papers in aggregate and
editorships and authorships for more than
200 international standards, the Group
continued to foster its leading edge in
technologies and patents for key products
and technologies, ensuring ongoing
enhancement in its ability to counter
patent risks.
In the first six months of 2014, the
Group undertook leading roles in the
R&D and indust rialization of more
than 10 projects including the National
863 Project, Electronic Development
Foundation, Cloud Computing Project,
Nor th Star Project and Guangdong
Technology Program.
Outlook
Looking to the second half of 2014,
oppor t unities as well as challenges
will abound in the traditional telecom
industry, as traditional telecom sectors
and emerging internet sectors continue
to evolve with innovative forces rapidly
overhauling traditional enterprises and
business models. In connection with
carrier networks, the telecom industry
will welcome a new investment cycle with
large-scale deployment of 4G networks
around the world, especially the issue of
4G licenses in China and the approval of
the trial operation of TD-LTE/LTE FDD
hybrid networking. However, carriers
must address the issue of “dumb pipe” or
“dumb information” as they become fully
engaged in 4G operations, and business
opportunities will abound for those who
are able to create value out of information.
In the government and corporate service
sectors, the in-depth amalgamation of
mobile internet and traditional industries,
the information revolution triggered
by emerging technologies such as the
internet of things, cloud computing and
big data, as well as the increasingly
heightened issue of information security
will also present market opportunities.
In connection with handset terminals,
the next-generation smart terminals will
be more intelligent and f lexible with
more integrated features. There is a
trend to develop the smart terminal into
a wearable device, as innovation and the
fulfillment of consumer needs becomes a
crucial factor.
To address the opportunities and
challenges, the Group will strategically
integrate and focus its resources during
the second half of 2014 in adherence to
its core business principle of “Innovation
and Intensification.” We will continue
to focus on carriers’ network products
and strengthen the vertical integration
of our public sector and enterprise ICT
business and handset business, striving
to generate increased returns.
OCT 2014 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES
4
Z TE News
ZTE Receives Frost &
Sullivan Technology
Leadership Award
in Africa for Its Green
Power Solutions
15 August 2014, Cape Town,
South Africa ― ZTE has been
awarded the 2013 Frost & Sullivan
Award for Technology Leadership
i n A f r i c a , b a s e d o n Fr o s t &
Sullivan’s recent analysis of the
green ICT power solutions market.
ZTE’s ICT power solutions offer
green, uninterrupted power supply
and energy-saving technologies,
and are helping address many of
the challenges relating to power
availability and environmental
p ol l u t i o n f a c i n g t h e A f r i c a n
continent. ZTE’s green energy
solutions, including battery-diesel
generator (DG) hybrid power, solar
power, solar-DG hybrid power,
wind-solar-DG hybrid power, solar
video surveillance, solar pumping,
solar street lighting, home solar
power, photovoltaics (PV) on-grid
power plant and low voltage solar
power plant solutions have been
implemented in many countries in
Africa, the Middle East, Asia and
South America.
5
ZTE TECHNOLOGIES OCT 2014
ZTE Wins COSMOTE
Romania LTE Contract
25 August 2014, Shenzhen ― ZTE
has won a wireless project contract
from COSMOTE Romania, the largest
multinational mobile operator in the
Balkans, to t ransfor m its existing
2G/3G network and build a new LTE
network in southern Romania.
The deal is expected to require
construction of more than 3,000 base
stations, reinforcing ZTE’s leading
place in the European LTE market.
B a s e d i n G r e e c e , C O SMO T E
Group has its major operations in South
Eastern European countries, including
Greece, Albania and Romania. Deutsche
Telekom is the largest of its shareholders,
holding 40 percent of shares in Greece’s
OT E G roup. I n 2012 , COSMOT E
Romania won the auction for the 25M
1800M and 10M 2600M LTE spectrums
and planned to launch LTE services in
the hope of better customer experience
and competitiveness.
I n 2 010 , Z T E s u c c e s s f u l l y
completed a U MTS project for
COSMOTE Romania usi ng ZTE’s
industry-leading SDR technologies
and network deliver y capabilities.
The previous cooperation on UMTS
networks has laid a solid foundation for
further work on LTE projects between
COSMOTE and ZTE.
ZTE Partners with Blue Jeans
Network to Enhance Video
Collaboration Services Products
25 Aug u st 2014, She n z he n ―
ZTE announced a partnership with
Blue Jeans Network, the global leader
in interoperable video collaboration
services. This partnership will allow
ZTE customers to experience Blue
Jeans Network’s cloud-based video
con ferenci ng ser v ices ( VCS) a nd
con nect easily to one another via
their ZTE VCS products, creating a
uniform user experience that fosters
collaboration. Starting in August, ZTE
VCS room system with Blue Jeans
video conferencing services will be
available in the US, Europe, Australia
and Singapore.
Blue Jea n s Net work ext end s
high-quality video communications
beyond the traditional boundaries of
virtual conference rooms by allowing
individuals, employees, partners and
family and friends, to connect and
interact with each other seamlessly
and effectively. “We’re excited to
work with ZTE to expand their reach
into the video com mu nications
ser vices market,” said St u Aaron,
chief commercial officer at Blue Jeans
Network. “This partnership is another
example of sharing our expertise in
interoperability and expanding our
ecosystem. We look forward to working
with ZTE to proliferate easy, open, and
affordable video conferencing.”
Z TE News
President
Carter as China-U.S.
ZTE Hosts
Dynamic Drives Business Growth
9 September 2014, Shanghai ― ZTE
was delighted to welcome former President of
the United States Jimmy Carter to Shanghai,
deepening the company’s friendship with
the President who championed closer ties
between the U.S. and China.
P re side nt Ca r t e r t ou re d Z T E’s
Research and Development Center in
Shanghai, home to some of the company’s
most significant technology research
projects in telecom networks and devices.
Shi Lirong, President of ZTE, and Cheng
Lixin, Chairman of ZTE USA, briefed
President Carter on the latest business
updates in the U.S. market, where ZTE
is consolidating its position as one of the
top providers of smartphones.
“It was my pleasure to visit the
ZTE Research and Development Center
in Shanghai today. It was impressive
to lear n of the g reat tech nological
advancements that ZTE has developed,”
President Carter said. “During this 35th
anniversary of the normalization of
U.S.-China relations, it is good to know
of the partnerships between ZTE and
American telecom companies.”
“We are honored by the visit of
President Carter to ZTE, and delighted to
have the opportunity to show him some
of the company’s latest innovations,” said
Mr. Shi. “President Carter’s vision and
foresight has helped inspire ZTE and other
Chinese technology companies to develop
deep and mutually-beneficial partnerships
with our counterparts in the U.S.”
ZTE Exclusively Wins SWAN Slovakia
Contract for Nationwide LTE Networks
28 August 2014, Shenzhen ― ZTE, a publiclylisted global provider of telecommunications
equipment, network solutions and mobile devices, has
signed a contract with Slovak operator SWAN for a
nationwide LTE network project.
ZTE will exclusively construct core circuitswitched/packet-switched (CS/PS) network, and a
GSM/LTE mobile communications and value added
services (VAS) network, involving over 1,100 dualmode GSM/LTE base stations to SWAN.
ZTE Completes
4G LTE Network
Stress Test for China
Telecom in Shanghai
1 September 2014, Shenzhen
― Z T E w a s r a n ke d No.1 i n
terms of shipment during the 4G
network construction among the
three Chinese domestic operators.
As 4G services are being rolled
out, ZTE and the operators held
joint tests in several cities to test
the 4G net work per for mance
in multiuser and high t raff ic
scenarios.
In the test organized by
China Telecom in Shanghai, the
network built by ZTE delivered
exceptional per for mance,
where one single CS accessed
a maximum of 450 subscribers
si mu lt a n e ou sly fo r t he f i r s t
time. The access success rate
r e a c h e d 10 0 % a n d t h e C PU
load was lower than 30%. The
450 subscr ibers accessed the
video services at the same time,
which made the cell’s throughput
exceed 100 Mbps, but the CPU
load was still lower than 9%. In
addition, ZTE specially designed
the test case for signaling storm.
The 450 subscribers executed
paging and activating repeatedly.
In this case, system KPIs were
f ully nor mal, and the CPU
utilization was only about 36%.
Hence the 4G network built by
ZTE successfully handled the
burst of large traff ic, proving
that the system can easily
handle issues resulting from the
signaling storm.
OCT 2014 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES
6
v IP Voices
Tiscali:
Consolidating a Level Playing
Field in the Telecom Market
Reporter: Zhu Yiwen
T
iscali is an Italian telecom
company founded in 1998 in
Sardinia. After the liberalization
of the telecom market in Italy, Tiscali
became one of the main alternative
operators in Europe. From March 1999
onward, the company offered Tiscali
Free Net, a subscription-free internet
service where customers only had to
pay for the time they were online.
This pushed other Italian providers
to abolish their fixed subscription
7
ZTE TECHNOLOGIES OCT 2014
fees and made the internet more
accessible to people in Italy. Tiscali
sees itself as an independent telecom
operator, and this characteristic has
contributed greatly to its success.
What makes Tiscali such a strong
player? Where are the growth
opportunities for Tiscali today?
Reporter Zhu Yiwen interviewed
Andrea Podda, CTO of Tiscali.
Q: Could you introduce Tiscali?
A: Tiscali is one of the leading
alternative telecom companies in Italy.
We provide individuals and businesses
with a vast range of services, including
dial-up and ADSL internet as well
as voice, VoIP, media, value-added
services, and other technologically
advanced products. Tiscali was the first
operator to provide free internet access
in Italy following the liberalization of the
telecom market in 1998. Since 2002, we
have been involved in a pan-European
v IP Voices
Andrea Podda, CTO of Tiscali
campaign against the existing monopoly
in the broadband market.
Q: Are there any differences
between the Italian market and
other European markets?
A: Italy is the fourth largest telecom
market in Western Europe, with revenue
of $43.8 billion in 2013. We expect
to see overall market revenue in Italy
remain flat from 2013 to 2018. We
expect telecom market revenue in Italy
to be approximately $44 billion in 2018.
There will nonetheless be significant
growth opportunities in Italy, especially
in the wireless market as operators focus
on 3.5G. Increasingly, they will also turn
to 4G and develop indoor/outdoor Wi-Fi.
WiFi, fixed broadband, and mobile
data services will open up highly
attractive revenue opportunities over
the next five years and are predicted to
generate about $102 billion.
In terms of internet usage, 56% of
Italians uses the internet at least once
a week, which is well below the EU
average of 72%, and 34% of Italians
have still never used the internet. This is
significantly higher than the EU average
of 20%.
In Italy, there continues to be a
significant decline in voice revenues in
the fixed-line market because of reduced
rates and a progressive shift of voice
traffic to mobile. In recent years, all
OCT 2014 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES
8
v IP Voices
operators have attempted to counter
this phenomenon by increasing the
penetration of ADSL and introducing
innovative bundled voice, broadband,
and services deals (double play). The
environment is highly competitive
and there is continual pressure to drop
prices. The main fixed operators are
now also offering mobile services,
and some are becoming mobile virtual
operators (MVOs).
In 2013, customers continued
to migrate from fixed-line to
mobile telephony and alternative
communications solutions such as
VoIP, messaging, e-mail, and social
network chat. The impetus behind this
migration has been the widespread
diffusion of smartphones and tablets.
Italy does not have a cable market.
Q: Tiscali witnessed strong
competition in Italian market yet
remained a leading operator.
What makes Tiscali such a strong
player?
A: Tiscali has consistently striven for
a level playing field in the telecom
market. We believe that freedom of
communication is a fundamental
objective which, once achieved, must be
protected and maintained.
In Tiscali, business and management
decisions are always made with the
future in mind. By continuously
developing and implementing advanced
technologies, Tiscali creates value for
its customers. Through its IP and VoIP
network, Tiscali is able to supply a wide
9
ZTE TECHNOLOGIES OCT 2014
range of high-quality services, such
as DSL, VoIP, and advanced business
services that make communications
between a company’s different locations
more efficient and secure.
Over the last few years, Tiscali has
channelled its efforts and resources into
raising our brand awareness. Our key
assets are our strong brand, reputation
for value, and significant ADSL
customer base.
Q: What is Tiscali’s main focus
this year?
A: The macro economy continues to
be highly unstable, and consumption
is decreasing. Tiscali is therefore
concentrating on implementing our
business plan and financial restructuring
plan. These will ensure we have balanced
equity and financial performance over
the long term. From an industry point of
view, Tiscali is continuing to improve its
operational efficiency and innovate with
its services.
Q: Where do you see the growth
opportunities for Tiscali today?
A: Our commitment on innovation
continues, with a specific focus on business
services; cloud services; the Indoona and
Steamago products; unified communication
suite; new search engine, called Istella; and
Smart Cities solutions. Our Smart Cities
solutions are based on our experience
with local governments and best-inclass technology and applications. We
are helping governments modernize
their infrastructure, ensuring that new
technology can integrate with a city’s
legacy infrastructure and embedding
intelligence into a city’s infrastructure
using Wi-Fi, NFC and BLE solutions.
Tiscali’s management is also
committed to defining and implementing
a restructuring plan so that we achieve a
financial and capital structure consistent
with our expected cash flow and hit our
business targets.
Q: What is your strategy to keep
Tiscali’s advantage in the market?
A: Despite the competitive and
challenging marketplace over the
past few years, our results confirm
our commitment to optimizing our
traditional businesses and innovating
with new services. In this challenging
market, growth in the number of
customers accessing our fixed network
testifies to the strength of our brand and
validity of our distribution strategy. It
also validates the actions we took to
secure a larger part of the telecom supply
chain and focus on innovating on OTT
services and digital media.
Q: ZTE and Tiscali have
already collaborated on
several businesses. What are
your expectations for future
cooperation?
A: Tiscali is now working with ZTE to
migrate all B2B fixed users to our IMS
platform, including IP Centrex service,
v IP Voices
implemented in the IMS SSS itself. When
the migration is completed, Tiscali will
build a unified communications solution
for the enterprise market. We will
create a seamless, secure collaboration
environment where employees in
different offices of a company and
roaming employees can communicate
efficiently using any available means.
Most smartphone users are running
mobile apps over Wi-Fi networks.
Smartphone users favour Wi-Fi for
data consumption. Tiscali is paying
attention to this trend and is pushing to
build a proprietary nationwide Wi-Fi
network starting in Sardinia.
Q: Do you have any advice to ZTE?
A: Tiscali needs to ensure maximum
return on each investment. Flexibility and
interoperability with other systems and
vendors is a key concern. Interoperability
and flexibility are the cornerstones
for successful IMS platforms. A truly
interoperable system will give Tiscali the
flexibility to deploy business services based
on applications developed in-house and
meet the needs of our business customers.
Q: In your opinion, what will
drive the evolution of the telecom
sector?
A: Software-defined networking and
network function virtualization are the
trends because they boost application
performance and management flexibility.
They are used to connect virtual
machines and servers to any resource in
the data center. They help address the
explosive capacity demand of fixed and
mobile traffic. They can also reduce the
capex and opex of service providers by
decreasing the reliance on expensive
proprietary hardware platforms.
While the benefits of SDN and NFV
are well known in the enterprise IT and
data center world, both technologies also
bring hosts of benefits to telecom service
providers.
Another area to focus on, I believe, is
the development of smart city projects in
some Italian cities. This involves working
on projects in energy, transportation,
healthcare, infrastructure, and governance
that help a city run efficiently. The market
potential of smart cities is estimated to
be hundreds of millions of euros. These
projects will involve the combined efforts
of end-to-end service providers, network
operators, product vendors, and managed
service providers.
OCT 2014 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES
10
v IP Voices
Unitel:
Delivering Advanced
Communication
Technologies to All Laotians
Reporters: Zhu Tao and Zhang Zhe
L
aos is a neighbor of China and
the only landlocked country
in Southeast Asia. It has 49
ethnic groups, and most of its people
are Buddhists. The country covers
an area of 236,800 square kilometers
and is colloquially known as the “roof
of Indochina.” Eighty percent of its
terrain is forest-covered mountains
and plateaus. Unitel is the largest
operator in Laos and is jointly owned
by the Laos Ministry of Defense and
V-Telglobal of Vietnam. The company
has annual sales of $180 million and a
procurement quota of $20–30 million.
Unitel and ZTE have established a longterm strategic partnership. Recently,
ZTE Technologies interviewed Ulaha
11
ZTE TECHNOLOGIES OCT 2014
Thongvantha, chairman of Unitel. He
talked about the opportunities open to
Unitel, challenges to be overcome, and
future development strategy.
Q: Could you briefly introduce
Unitel and its areas of operation?
A: Unitel is one of the main operators in
Laos. We are a multinational joint-stock
company. The Laotian side owns 51%
and the Vietnamese side owns 49% of
the shares. We are supported by both the
Party and government of Laos.
Q: What challenges and
opportunities does Unitel have
in Laos?
A: Laos has a population of only 6
million people, and the market is
relatively small. At present, many
foreign enterprises and individuals are
investing in Laos. Unitel is now facing
competition in terms of technology and
market share. We have to constantly
update our technologies and expand our
market share. We need to provide quality
services at lower prices, and this also
needs to be supported by ZTE.
We are also supported by the Party
and government of Laos, especially the
Ministry of Defense. This has enhanced
our reputation greatly. We treasure these
opportunities and hope that Unitel can
reach new heights under the leadership of
our management team.
Q: What are the biggest benefits
that Unitel brings to Laos?
A: We let the Lao people enjoy
advanced communications technologies
v IP Voices
Ulaha Thongvantha（R），chairman of Unitel.
and devices. We have made a great
contribution to the national GDP
compared to the power and construction
sectors. We have also made significant
contributions to national defense, social
security, and education. We have set up
an online education system that cost $1
million and is used by 951 schools in the
country.
Q: What is Unitel’s development
strategy?
A: The urban-rural divide is significant
in Laos. The city has higher standard
of living and telecom devices are
much more popular there, moreso than
in underdeveloped rural and ethnic
minority areas. Our first main strategy
is to deliver advanced communication
technologies to different groups all over
the country.
Now our main business focus is our
3G network. Although the 3G network
is slow and not the best quality, we will
try our best to improve it. We know that
talent is fundamental to the development
of all industries. We are going to throw
a lot of manpower and materials at
developing highly qualified and efficient
staff members.
Q: How has ZTE contributed to
Unitel’s growth?
A: Unitel and ZTE have developed
all-round exchanges. We have
cooperated with ZTE since we were
the sole shareholder of Unitel, and our
cooperation has been smooth. ZTE is
a large international company and has
completed some very important projects
for the Laotian government. We’ve
learned a lot from years of cooperation
with ZTE. We still remember when ZTE
helped train our staff, and effects of
this training have been significant and
long-lasting. Our progress is due in no
small measure to the help and support
we have received from ZTE. I hope that
Unitel and ZTE will grow together for a
better future.
OCT 2014 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES
12
v IP Voices
We’ve learned a lot from years of
cooperation with ZTE. We still remember
when ZTE helped train our staff, and
effects of this training have been
significant and long-lasting.
Q : W h a t a r e U n i t e l ’s g o a l s
and how will you achieve
them?
A: Our overall goal is to deliver better,
cheaper services so that Unitel will
become stronger in the telecom market.
13
ZTE TECHNOLOGIES OCT 2014
To achieve this goal, we need to uphold
some principles. First, Unitel is a joint
venture whose employees come from
two countries. The key to managing
the enterprise well is to ensure the
cohesiveness and focus of all staff.
Second, as foreigners, we must follow
the local laws and rules of the telecom
industry in Laos. Third, we aim to
deliver better, cheaper services than
what other operators can offer. We are
now making every effort to improve our
3G network. We are also applying for a
4G license and have planned a 4G trial.
We hope we can expand the market and
attract new customers while retaining
our existing customers. Finally, to get
things done in Laos, we must understand
the national character of Lao. Our
explorations into the local culture as well
as the training we conduct for staff are
also the foundation of our achievements
in this country.
Tech Forum
1G to the Home:
Vision and Initiation
By Heng Yunjun
F
Heng Yunjun, architecture
director of Wireline Product
Operation Division, ZTE
Corporation
rom 2000 to 2007, ZTE delivered bandwidth via
copper networks. Applications were mostly run on
PCs, and email, internet browsing, video downloading,
and IP telephony were the main sources of network data.
Then in 2008, networks based on ADSL2+ began to provide
18 Mbps. When it only took 18 minutes to download a highdefinition Harry Potter movie to PC, we thought that the
bandwidth needs of households had been fully satisfied.
However, smartphones and tablets began a revolution that has
not only affected mobile networks but also wired networks,
especially in terms of optical fiber.
Nowadays at places such as cafes, airports, residences,
or subway stations, smart terminals can be used to facilitate
multiple Wi-Fi connections enabled by wired networks.
Downloading a HD movie in 18 minutes is no longer
satisfactory. Videos from several to dozens of gigabytes take
up a lot of hard drive and bandwidth. Now when we Skype,
OCT 2014 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES
14
T ech Forum
we want face-to-face video with sharp images. We don’t just
want online comparison shopping; we want an interactive
3D experience, as if we are really in the shop. Demand for
bandwidth is increasing tenfold every seven years.
Due to technology and cost constraints, the communications
industry predicts that 1 Gpbs mobile connectivity will only be
possible by 2020. However, for wired networks, 1 Gpbs will
be available much sooner. ZTE, a leading supplier of fixed
networks, has launched a 1G-to-the-home concept and solution
that ensures new technology can be installed in existing
networks and guarantees network scalability.
Before using a technology, overall consideration needs to be
given to service needs, technology/product maturity, input-output
calculation, and time-to-market. Technically, the XG-PON1
technology being used to deliver 100-300 Mbps to common
subscribers can provide 1 Gbps to high-end and enterprise users
(Fig. 1). To satisfy increasing demand for bandwidth, XG-PON1
can also be upgraded to support N × 10G single-mode fiber
through wavelength overlapping. This enables 1 Gbps for common
users and 10 Gbps for high-end users. The upgrade involves
gradual wavelength overlapping, and no structural changes need
to be made to the original optical network. While delivering 1G to
the home, mobile backhaul can be supported (Fig. 2).
ZTE has estimated the construction costs and expected
revenue for GPON, 10G EPON, XG-PON1 and NG PON2
networks over the next several years (Fig. 3). These estimates
are based on networks with different technologies in mainland
China, Japan, and Hong Kong. They are also based on the
previous trajectories of tariffs in telecom industries, equipment
cost, and network capacity. ZTE’s estimates reveal that the
TDM-PON+WDM-PON+OFDM
TDM-PON+WDM-PON
TDM-PON
EPON
10G-EPON
OFDM/WDM
TWDM-PON
Ultra-OFDM
A/BPON
GPON
XG-PON1
PtP WDM
UD WDM
40G/100G TDM
WDM PON
Commercial time
2007
2012~2014
2020
After 2025
Port broadband capability
1G/2.5G
10G
N×10G
N×40G/100G
Each user broadband
<50M
100M~300M
500M~1G
nG
Figure 1. Evolution of optical access technologies.
TWDM PON
Maximum Maintain and Reuse
Family
Government
Multiple wave superposition improve the system
bandwidth and user capacity
Converged access to families, government and
enterprises, mobile network and wholesales
ODN
Enterprises
PtP WDM
Mobile Backhaul
Adopting TWDM and P2P WDM Technologies as
requirement
Compatible with a variety of uplink & downlink
rates and systems
Virtual Operation
Figure 2. Flexible NG PON2 architecture for integrated access with super high bandwidth.
15
ZTE TECHNOLOGIES OCT 2014
Tech Forum
Times
10
8
6
4
2
0
2014
2015
GPON
2016
2017
10G-EPON
2018
XG-PON1
2019
2020
NG-xPON
* Supposed the price of GPON terminal is 1
Figure 3. Terminal cost estimate of different access technologies.
GPON ONU
Existing GPON
XG-PON1 ONU
XG-PON1
WDM Coupling
Upgrade to NG xPON ONU
Add NG xPON OLT or Line Card
Figure 4. Upgrading GPON and XG-PON1 to NG PON2.
bulk of network construction cost lies in terminal prices and
per-user cost at the central-office side does not vary much with
respect to network capacity. The speed at which a technology
is commercialized depends on network capacity and costbenefit analysis. Large-scale commercialization of XG-PON1
is expected to begin in 2014.
When planning for fixed broadband access, demand,
technology and economics all need to be taken into account.
Network upgrades should be based on market and user value
segmentation. For universal coverage, a GPON/10 GPON
hybrid network can provide ordinary bandwidth for common
GPON users and high bandwidth for high-end 10 GPON users.
This guarantees service provision improves ROI. 10 GPON can
be used to deliver 100+ Mbps to high-value customers in the
near term and 1 Gbps further into the future. Current GPON
and XG-PON1 can be easily upgraded to NG PON2 without
changing existing ODNs (Fig. 4). A network using XG-PON1
and GPON can first adopt WDM multiplexing and then be
upgraded into NG PON2 so that the network is compatible with
NG PON, XG-PON1 and GPON terminals.
We produce countless photos and videos that we want to
store both locally and in the cloud. We need seamless Wi-Fi
coverage for our smart mobile terminals anywhere in the home.
We want to watch our children and parents in real time to
ensure that they are safe while we work in the office. We want
to store super-high-definition movies for future viewing.
Smart terminals are driving the demand for bandwidth
and this, in turn, is opening up more possibilities for service
planning. As early as 2012, ZTE collaborated with British
Telecom to build the world’s first commercial experiments
bureau. In 2012 and 2013, ZTE won innovation awards from
BBWF and GTB respectively. ZTE has also built commercial
XG-PON1 networks for Indonesia PT Telkom and Spain’s
Jazztel. Initial testing of the technology, network construction
mode planning, and development of intelligent home networks
all indicate ZTE’s front-runner position in the optical access
field. From ZTE’s perspective, 1G-to-the-home is possible
because the technology makes it possible and customer demand
is strong. ZTE has taken a crucial step in pioneering 1G-to-thehome networks.
OCT 2014 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES
16
s pecial Topic: Broadband Access
FTTM Enables
Rapid and Flexible LTE Deploym
ent
By Qin Yewen
L
Rapid LTE Growth
TE is the fastest-growing
technology in the history
of mobile communications.
With high bandwidth and low delay,
LTE offers data rates far higher than
those of existing wireless broadband
networks. LTE ensures ubiquitous
network coverage and seamless
wireless applications.
17
ZTE TECHNOLOGIES OCT 2014
Mobile traffic is experiencing
explosive growth in the LTE era. To
attract users, secure market share, and
increase revenue, operators need to
deploy many small cells to quickly boost
network capacity, improve network
coverage, offer superior user experience,
and enhance market competitiveness.
However, many small cells have an
impact on bearer resources and cost.
PON FTTx Enables Fast, LowCost Small-Cell Deployment
Small cells are usually carried
over a public network. Mass smallcell deployment requires a network
to have abundant mobile backhaul
resources. The backhaul network must
have high bandwidth; it must be very
reliable; it must have accurate clock
synchronization; and it must have
s pecial Topic
Existing widely deployed PON FTTx
networks have inherent advantages
in terms of carrying small cells.
investment, saves installment costs, and
requires less bearer resources.
flexible power supply. To generate
revenue from the network, an operator
has to select low-cost, flexible, reliable
technology to backhaul the small cells.
Existing widely deployed PON FTTx
networks have inherent advantages in
terms of carrying small cells.
Low-Cost Dense Coverage
Small cells are deployed more
densely than existing macro cells.
Therefore, it is unfeasible to use
traditional backhaul platforms, which
may also pose high requirements
for uplink bandwidth of OLT ports.
Moreover, the areas to be covered by
small cells are largely the same as those
covered by FTTx access networks.
An FTTx access network can be used
to quickly and flexibly deploy small
cells. This enables quick return on
High-Precision Clock Synchronization
Of all synchronization solutions
currently available for small cells,
synchronization based on GPS and air
interface is not applicable to small cells
that are densely deployed over a wide
area. Other synchronization modes,
such as 1588v2 and synchronous
Ethernet, are better suited to these
small cells. Existing FTTx networks
enable clock synchronization through
1588V2, synchronous Ethernet, and
1PPS+ToD or as defined by protocols
of the PON system.
Hierarchical QoS
Small cells may be deployed in
the same network where there are
existing broadband and Wi-Fi users.
Robust service-processing mechanism
and bandwidth allocation capability
are needed to guarantee services of
different classes and to ensure that
wireless signaling is reliable for mobile
video, data, and voice. The PON
FTTx system provides flexible QoS
scheduling mechanisms at the port,
user, and service levels to prioritize the
forwarding of small-cell services and to
improve user experience.
Complete Service Protection
In an FTTx network, PON
provides abundant protection
mechanisms, including Type B and
Type C protection for OLT PON ports
and redundancy for backbone fiber,
branch fiber, and ONT PON ports.
PON OLT uplink ports also support
LACP, ring networking, and MSTP.
Protection modes can be flexibly used
for common hotspots, cells, or even
macro cells in important areas.
Bandwidth Matching
As wireless technology advances,
there is a growing demand for bandwidth.
xPON is developing in line with wireless
broadband access technologies from
EPON/GPON to 10G PON and nextgeneration PON and carries GE, 10GE,
and n × 10GE access bandwidth. The
technology and bandwidth capabilities of
PON in its different phases will meet the
backhaul bandwidth needs of 3G, 4G and
future 5G.
Flexible Power Supply and
Intelligent OAM
Since small cells are deployed
in complex environments, backhaul
OCT 2014 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES
18
s pecial Topic: Broadband Access
equipment needs to support flexible
power supply and fast fault handling.
The PON system can provide remote
power supply for some small cells
through PoE and PoE+. It also provides
an end-to-end intelligent OAM system
that enables easy daily OAM and quick
fault location and handling.
As LTE cells can be well carried
over FTTx networks, operators in many
countries including the U.S., Japan,
South Korea, Spain, Russia and Canada
have used xPON FTTx networks to
backhaul LTE macro cells and small
cells. This approach has brought them
considerable investment returns.
FTTM for Various Small-Cell
Deployment Scenarios
There are two small-cell deployment
scenarios in areas where LTE coverage and
capacity is limited: indoor and outdoor.
Indoor scenarios include coverage and
capacity expansion for homes, offices,
and high-rise buildings. Outdoor scenarios
include coverage for outdoor hotspots,
blind spots, traffic infrastructure, suburbs,
and rural areas. ZTE has rolled out a fiberto-the-mobile (FTTM) solution for these
scenarios (Fig. 1).
In these areas, operators can
flexibly use existing xPON FTTx
resources to deploy small cells. A
small cell can incorporate Wi-Fi, even
into a home gateway unit. In addition
to wireless network services, the
small cell also provides new valueadded services because small cells
are cheap, provide good coverage,
and have diverse interfaces. A small
cell can also be integrated into a
home gateway, enterprise gateway,
or enterprise information engine
to serve as a brand-new integrated
service platform. In the future, small
cells will be more intelligent and
integrated and will support 3G, LTE and
Wi-Fi. They will be further integrated
into the Internet of Things, near-field
communication, high-definition set-
Hot Spot Coverage
(Transportation hubs
and campuses)
Home Femto
Indoor Coverage
Small Cell
Femtocell
EPC
Small Cell
ODN
Indoor Coverage
(Business buildings)
PON OLT
Internet
P2P
Small Cell
Outdoor Coverage
(Rural and remote areas/
campus/residential areas)
Outdoor Coverage
(Blind spots/traffic offload/highrise buildings)
Outdoor Coverage
(Shopping streets/open-air cafes
or restaurants)
Figure 1. ZTE’s FTTM solution.
19
ZTE TECHNOLOGIES OCT 2014
top box, video surveillance, enterprise
broadcast platforms, and smart home
control. Small cells will evolve to
become integrated, cloud-based, social,
intelligent super-cells. FTTx access
networks can be smoothly evolved and
have a range of ONUs that meet the
needs of different bearer interfaces with
small cells.
ZTE’s xPON FTTM solution
provides a series of system and terminal
equipment. Multiple types of ONUs are
used in the solution such as integrated,
low-cost ONTs with SFP modules,
converged multi-port ONUs, and
outdoor ONTs with high adaptability
to environment. The solution unifies
management through an end-toend visual interface and satisfies the
requirements of indoor and outdoor
small cell scenarios. The delay, QoS,
clock synchronization, and power
supply requirements for LTE bearer
network can also be met. Moreover,
ZTE’s xPON FTTM products support
smooth technological evolution to keep
pace with the development of wireless
broadband networks.
FTTM Accommodates LTE Growth
and Ushers in a New Era for
Mobile Broadband Networks
LTE networks are widely deployed,
so operators will make major efforts to
develop optical access networks and
build complete FTTx networks. To cope
with a huge amount of mobile data
traffic and meet the need for network
convergence, operators will have to
keep improving network coverage
and capacity. ZTE’s innovative FTTM
solution provides complete fixed-mobile
convergence that allows users to enjoy
feature-rich mobile internet applications
anytime, anywhere.
s pecial Topic
vFTaTH Enables
Uni
By Zhang Haijun
A
fied FTTx Man
agement
lthough FTTx has been
extensively deployed
worldwide, there are many
OAM problems related to it. Traditionally,
ONUs are managed in different ways
in FTTC, FTTB, FTTdp, and FTTH
applications; therefore, operators have
to ensure their FTTx networks have
multiple OAM modes and that their
network element management systems
(EMS) support multiple protocols.
This not only increases maintenance
costs but also raises the bar for
interoperability so that purchasing
replacement becomes more difficult.
Therefore, there is a pressing need for a
solution that simplifies network OAM.
The Call for Simple FTTx OAM
OAM for FTTx ONUs encompasses
equipment deployment, service
activation, version upgrade, and device
replacement. Equipment at the link
layer is usually deployed through
OMCI/extended OAM. Depending
on the specific scenario, services can
be remotely activated through SNMP,
OMCI/extended OAM, TR069, the
auxiliary Web, or Telnet. Version
upgrade may be implemented through
OMCI/extended OAM and FTP. Diverse
management modes and protocols
complicate the network management
system, and the management
interoperability also involves multiple
interoperability standards.
Moreover, network elements are
deployed differently in a different FTTx
network:
● Equipment does not necessarily need to
be deployed in order to activate services.
In FTTH mode, equipment needs to
be deployed to activate new services.
However, in FTTC, FTTB, and FTTdp
modes, equipment only needs to be
deployed when services are activated for
the first subscriber.
● FTTH equipment supports plug-and-
play; however, FTTC, FTTB, and
FTTdp devices do not support it now.
● An operator may have different
electronic work orders or dispatch work
orders for different FTTx equipment.
This leads to many differences in
equipment deployment and OAM. The
operator’s work order system needs to
differentiate between various kinds of
FTTx equipment and have multiple
work order interfaces. This makes
EMS upgrade less convenient when the
southbound interface is modified and
increases the complexity of FTTx OAM.
To simplify network OAM and reduce
costs, it is necessary to develop a new OAM
solution that enables FTTx equipment to be
deployed with fewer management protocols
and decreases device and EMS complexity.
FTTH is generally viewed as the final stage
OCT 2014 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES
20
s pecial Topic: Broadband Access
of FTTx development, and the use of the
FTTH OAM mechanism to reconstruct
FTTB, FTTC, and FTTdp modes is worthy
of further research. This gives rise to an
innovative virtual FTTH (vFTTH) solution.
OMCI/extended OAM, Web and Telnet.
● vMAC/vSFU has standard VLAN
processing capability.
● vMAC/vSFU only keeps port cache and
forwarding.
vFTTH: An Innovation in FTTx OAM
vFTTH is designed to unify OAM
of various MDU, MTU, SBU, and DPU
terminals in FTTC, FTTB, and FTTdp
scenarios. Through virtual emulation,
a terminal originally shared by several
users can serve as multiple FTTH optical
network terminals (ONTs). This makes the
management of MDU, MTU, SBU, and
DPU similar to that of FTTH ONTs.
vFTTH uses advanced virtualization
technology to emulate multiple MAC
addresses and forwards and manages the
traffic of each MAC path. This innovative
mechanism enables EMS protocols and
procedures, service activation, electronic
work orders, and dispatch work orders to
be fully shared by FTTH devices. A virtual
MAC (vMAC) can be considered as a
virtual single family unit (vSFU) where
● vMAC/vSFU has basic functionalities
similar to a stand-alone SFU.
● Each vMAC/vSFU maps one or multiple
UNIs. When a UNI port associated with
the vMAC is activated for the first time,
the MAC registration process is initiated.
After that, the MAC registration process
is still initiated, even if the UNI port
is idle. In this way, ONUs are always
registered on the OLT.
● Each vMAC/vSFU has an independent
forwarding domain.
● Each vMAC/vSFU responds to the time
window sent by the OLT.
● Multiple vMACs/vSFUs adopt a random
competition mechanism for registration
on the OLT.
● Each vMAC/vSFU has an independent
management channel and a full range
of FTTH management modes such as
vFTTH changes OAM modes in
traditional multiuser FTTC, FTTB, and
FTTdp scenarios. These scenarios are
considered as a stack of individual FTTH
users. vFTTH enables multiple users to
share MDU, MTU, SBU, and DPU that are
used as multiple FTTH ONTs. However,
the cost of the MDU, MTU, SBU, and
DPU is much lower than that of multiple
ONTs. The original FTTC, FTTB, and
FTTdp management protocols and modes
are united in FTTH mode so that operators
can implement unified management without
differentiating the MDU, MTU, SBU, DPU,
and SFU. In a future FTTx network, MDUs,
MTUs, SBUs, DPUs, and SFUs will share
an EMS platform and will be managed
remotely through OMCI or extended OAM.
This lowers the requirements for network
21
ZTE TECHNOLOGIES OCT 2014
vFTT
Service Request
BSS
OSS
EMS
ITMS
IPTV
IMS/SS
OMCI (8 Channels)
AAA
Home 1
Home 2
OLT
vSFU@FTTdp
Home 8
Figure 1. vFTTH deployment procedure.
s pecial Topic
emulate eight users, each of which has
one UNI port.
TH
management, reduces the types of work
orders and interoperability threshold,
and conforms to FTTH-focused
broadband construction. vFTTH is a
breakthrough technology that will lead
worldwide FTTC, FTTB, and FTTdp
reconstruction.
vFTTH in Full Compliance with
FTTH Deployment Procedure
vFTTH is deployed in compliance
with the FTTH deployment procedure.
In an FTTdp scenario, an eight-port DPU
is installed in the corridor (Fig. 1). The
DPU virtually generates eight vMACs to
The vFTTH deployment procedure is
as follows:
● The CRM system accepts user
service requests.
● The CRM system calls in the
resource-management function to
confirm resources and generate
customer orders.
● The CRM system dispatches customer
orders to the service-activation system,
which handles FTTx service orders. This
involves dispatching an FTTx resourceconfiguration order to the resourcemanagement system for automatic
resource configuration, an activation
work order to the automatic activation
system for automatic device activation,
and an outside construction work
order to the construction scheduling
system for manual construction
implementation, and an integrated test
system to perform a service quality test.
● The resource-management system
configures network equipment and
lines and updates their states.
● The automatic activation system
interfaces with the networkmanagement platform associated with
all FTTx products and automatically
activates these products. The
activation involves authenticating
user billing account and OLT/ONU
based on the SN or LOID.
● The construction-scheduling system
dispatches construction orders and
controls the manual construction
implementation process. At the user
premises, the engineer powers on
the device and uplinks the port. If
authentication is based on the LOID,
the LOID needs to be separately
entered and the corresponding vSFU
is activated.
● The integrated test system performs
a quality test after the service has
been activated.
● The service-activation system sends
a completion acknowledgement to
the CRM system after the service
passes the test.
● The CRM system sends an advice
of charge to the billing system
after receiving the completion
acknowledgment. The billing system
is responsible for collecting and
billing for related FTTx products.
vFTTH products are deployed in
exactly the same way as FTTH products.
Activating a port of a vFTTH product is
the same as activating an SFU in FTTH.
Both the links and services of vSFUs
are configured through OMCI/extended
OAM. Service forwarding of a vSFU is
also the same as that of SFU. Even some
key points for vFTTH OAM such as
dying gasp, long-lasting phosphorescence
protection, optical link detection, device
replacement, and version upgrade, also
borrow from the FTTH OAM logic.
From a management perspective, multiuser devices that are reconstructed using
vFTTH virtualization are the same as a
stack of multiple FTTH ONTs.
FTTx is deployed according to local
conditions. Although FTTH is the main
scenario, FTTC, FTTB, and FTTdp will
not disappear overnight; it will be around
for a long time because of low equipment
cost. Therefore, unified OAM of FTTC,
FTTB, and FTTdp will continue to be a
concern of operators. vFTTH virtualization
technology unites the OAM schemes
of FTTB, FTTC, and FTTdp towards
FTTH OAM mode and reduces both opex
and capex. The technology is worthy of
continuous and in-depth study and will
have a long-term impact on FTTC, FTTB,
and FTTdp construction.
OCT 2014 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES
22
s pecial Topic: Broadband Access
:
e
l
b
U-Ca
A Big Leap for Cable Operators
By Wang Xinsheng
New Challenges for Network
Operations
he past decade has seen rapid
construction of broadband
networks and development
of broadband services. On account
of big data, network transfer rate has
increased tenfold every five years.
This has increased requirements
in terms of network planning,
construction, deployment, and OAM.
There are significant challenges
facing cable networks: speedy crosssector mergers and acquisitions are blurring
T
23
ZTE TECHNOLOGIES OCT 2014
industrial boundaries; network convergence
has made full-service operation a trend;
the cost of unidirectional-to-bidirectional
digital modernization has become high;
homogeneous competition between
operators is intense; and innovation in
QoE has become increasingly difficult.
Operators must focus on offering higher
bandwidth at lower cost; offering more
flexible tariffs for different services;
and deploying services quickly in order
reach customers first.
Worldwide, telecom operators and
OTT service providers have been big
threats for cable operators. However,
cable operators can leverage their first-
mover advantages in terms of content,
network resources, user numbers, and
user stickiness to be competitive. Cable
operators also need to learn from and
cooperate with their competitors.
Choosing an Appropriate
Technology
There is a wide choice of technologies
for cable network construction and
development: FTTH/O, FTTB, FTTdp,
FTTC, DOCSIS, C-DOCSIS, EOC and
DPoE. These technologies differ in terms
of user bandwidth provisioning, unit
bandwidth cost, complexity of network
technology and architecture, deployment
modes and adaptability, OAM. The
s pecial Topic
technology/technologies used in a
specific network must meet the service
and bandwidth needs of users.
Broadband has driven massive
deployment of FTTx technology in
cable networks; for example, fiber-only
or fiber-copper hybrid construction has
had a big impact on legacy HFC/CMTS
networks. Traditional CATV networks
urgently need IP-based bidirectional
digital modernization and bandwidth
upgrade. The drawbacks of CMTS
technology in terms of performance,
functionality, network evolution, and
cost have been exposed, and deep
deployment of fiber at the user side is an
irreversible trend.
Building Cable Broadband Access
Networks
ZTE has developed U-Cable, a
solution tailored to the cable market.
U-Cable conforms to the trend of
fiber in/copper out deployment and
bidirectional CATV. U-Cable provides
different solutions for home, business,
and individuals. These solutions
involve newly constructed and
reconstructed CATV networks as
well as coverage for blind spots. By
combining FTTx and coaxial cable,
U-Cable provides highly adaptive
broadband access, modernized CATV,
and expanded business applications.
U-Cable’s responsive and accurate
network services help cable operators
implement last-mile broadband
acceleration and flexible networks.
U-Cable provides the following
advantages:
● ultra-bandwidth. Depending on the
network construction modes and
degree of fiber deployment, access
bandwidth from 20 Mbps to 10 Gbps
can be provided to meet different
customer requirements.
● adaptable access. A newly constructed
U-Cable network provides full
coverage and eliminates network
black spots. U-Cable provides access
to homes, businesses, and public
hotspots.
● flexible evolution. U-Cable supports
smooth evolution from C-DOCSIS
to DOCSIS3.1 and from 1G to 10G
PON and beyond. U-Cable supports
gradual upgrade from FTTB/FTTC
to FTTH/O/dp.
● centralized management. U-Cable
has a platform for unified OAM.
With automatic configuration, offline
configuration, batch-processing, and
remote upgrade and management,
U-Cable boosts network performance
and saves the costs in labor and
construction.
● optimized OAM. U-Cable includes
multiple network optimization
measures for intelligent network
planning, efficient construction,
accurate fault location, and proactive
OAM. U-Cable simplifies network
OAM by making the network
more transparent, controllable, and
manageable.
● exploiting existing resources. U-Cable
allows both fiber-only and fiber/
copper hybrid deployment so that
the existing copper can be reused to
save cost.
● reduced network layers. By
introducing OLTs into the network
to deliver more functions and higher
performance, pushing nodes further
to the user side, and cutting network
layers, U-Cable greatly reduces
the demand for resources, such as
equipment room space.
To facilitate the deployment and
OAM of cable networks, U-Cable
provides a full range of products,
including FTTx equipment and
C-DOCSIS/EoC for central and
terminal offices, as well as a unified
management service system. U-Cable
has strong capabilities in terms of QoS,
security, and OAM and guarantees
effective network operation. This,
in turn, enables operators to offer
differentiated services, create superior
networks, deliver rich value-added
services, and increase revenue.
Helping Cable Operators Leapfrog
Forward
As a leading broadband equipment
provider, ZTE is committed to delivering
first-class solutions, excellent customer
service, and responsive customization.
U-Cable encompasses products and
services that can be used in a wide variety
of scenarios. Coupled with ZTE’s strong
project execution capability, U-Cable
assures high-quality end-to-end delivery
to help operators build operable, evolvable
broadband networks.
OCT 2014 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES
24
s pecial Topic: Broadband Access
:
p
d
T
T
F
Tailored to Operator Needs
By Shi Jie
Table 1. Comparison of FTTH, FTTB and FTTdp.
L
arge-scale deployment of FTTx
has exposed many shortcomings
in fiber-to-the-home (FTTH)
and fiber-to-the-building (FTTB). FTTH
requires high investment in ODN,
lengthy construction period for optical
lines, and much difficulty in deploying
fiber into the home. With FTTB there
are two main issues: energizing multidwelling units in the corridor and low
port availability. To address these issues,
ZTE has unveiled an innovative fiber-tothe-distribution-point (FTTdp) solution
that uses advanced virtual MAC for
flexible access.
ZTE has developed FTTdp MDU, a
multiport distribution point unit (DPU)
that supports reverse power supply,
extends FTTx network applications, and
meets the diverse requirements of an
FTTdp solution.
25
ZTE TECHNOLOGIES OCT 2014
Networking
Commissioning
Initial Investment
Port Availability
Power Supply
FTTH
FTTB
FTTdp
OLT + level 1/level 2
splitter + ONT + (CPE)
OLT + level 1 splitter +
MDU + CPE
OLT + level 1 splitter
+ virtual MAC + ONT
+ (CPE)
Deploy the ODN to the
doorway of a user home.
After taking the order,
deploy fiber to the
home, and install and
commission the CPE
Deploy the ODN to the
building and activate the
MDU.
After taking the order,
enable the user port to
bring the connection to
the home using existing
Category-5 cables
or twisted pairs, and
commission the CPE
Deploy the ODN to the
building and activate
the FTTdp.
After taking the order,
insert a user template
to bring the connection
to the home using
existing Category-5
cables or twisted pairs,
and commission the
CPE
High
Fairly high
Low
Fairly low utilization of Fairly low
an optical splitter
Distribute ONTs as users
require
100%
Terminal are energized
by home users
Support local power
supply in the corridor
and reverse Power
over Ethernet (PoE)
Shall address the issue
of power supply in the
corridor
s pecial Topic
Multi-user Scenarios
BSS
HG
EMS
FTTdp MDU
Internet
HG
WiFi
GE
POTS
WiFi
Home 1
GE
POTS
Home 2
Splitter
IMS/SS
CDN
Single-user Scenarios
OLT
FTTdp ONT
HG
Application Cloud
HG
WiFi
GE
POTS
WiFi
Home 3
GE
POTS
Home 4
Figure 1. FTTdp networking.
ZTE’s FTTdp solution enables
● flexible networking. The solution
adopts industry-leading virtual MAC
technology to enable multiple ONTs
to work under one MAC address. An
optical module plus PON MAC can
support eight PON MAC addresses.
This reduces the number of optical
splitters used, increases optical
power budget by more than 10 dB,
and makes networking more flexible.
As a result, both the management
and service models of FTTdp are
exactly the same as those of FTTH.
● flexible access. The solution fully
uses existing subscriber lines and
information boxes. The equipment
is installed in the information box
in the corridor, and the existing
Category-5 cables or twisted pairs
are used to bring the connection
to the home. This addresses the
difficulty of deploying fiber into the
home in FTTH mode.
● flexible installation. The solution
supports all kinds of information
boxes, with each box covering up to
16 homes. Designed with information
box, installation, and OAM in mind,
FTTdp MDU is compact and easy to
install.
● flexible commissioning. The solution
reduces initial investment. Each user
corresponds to a plug-in card, and the
plug-in cards can be added or deleted
according to the number of users
or ports. The solution also supports
automatic FTTH commissioning
and provides 100% port availability.
All types of user network interfaces
are supported, and there are multiple
choices of medium for access to home.
● flexible power supply. The solution
supports both local power supply
by the information box and reverse
power supply.
● complete optical device monitoring
and protection. Optical modules
can be replaced to prevent aging.
FTTdp MDU supports optical link
supervision and monitors parameters
such as working temperature, power
voltage, bias current, transmitting/
receiving power of optical modules.
It also supports internal calibration,
self-detecting long-lasting
phosphorescence, and disabling
optical modules.
● reusing the existing copper without
changes to the subscriber’s home
network. The solution provides highspeed access (hundreds of Mbps) to
subscribers.
OCT 2014 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES
26
S uccess Stories
China Mobile: Building a National
Backbone Transport Network in Western China
By Alateng Buhe
C
About China Mobile
hina Mobile Communications
Corporation (China Mobile) was
established on April 20, 2000.
With registered capital of RMB 300 billion
and assets exceeding RMB 1 trillion,
currently China Mobile boasts the world’s
largest mobile network and subscriber
base. Having mobile telephony, data, IP
telephony and multimedia services as its
major lines of business, China Mobile
has also been granted with the license to
operate internet services and international
communications access services. In
addition to basic voice service, the
Company also offers many value-added
services such as fax, data and IP telephony.
Its famous consumer brands include
GoTone, Easyown and M-Zone. By the end
of 2012, China Mobile had more than 1.07
million base stations and more than 700
million customers.
Seizing Opportunities
China Mobile has the world’s largest
27
ZTE TECHNOLOGIES OCT 2014
WDM/OTN bearer network, and this
network is the cornerstone of China
Mobile’s mobile network. China Mobile
led the way by deploying large-scale
national and provincial backbone WDM
networks as early as 2000. After 2006,
China Mobile started building a 3G
TD-SCDMA mobile network and
vigorously developed key customer
services. Because the existing
metropolitan MSTP and backbone
WDM network could not keep up with
the rapid growth of data services,
China Mobile took steps to deploy
multilayer backbone WDM networks
and metropolitan OTN networks.
This improved the bearing capacity
of the entire network. Since 4G LTE
was deployed in 2013, the demand for
data bandwidth has increased. China
Mobile is determined to upgrade its
10G WDM/OTN to 100G OTN and use
the 100G OTN in both backbone and
metropolitan areas to handle a high
volume of data.
100G OTN is a state-of-the-art
optical transmission technology and
has the largest capacity in the optical
communications industry by far. 100G
OTN is capable of 100 Gbit/s singlewave transmission and up to 8 Tbit/s
single-fiber transmission. 100G OTN
standards and technology have been
well developed, and the world’s leading
optical communications equipment
vendors, including ZTE, can provide
100G solutions. A number of 100G
networks are currently being operated by
international carriers.
Cover Diversified Environment
China Mobile’s NBN in western
China stretches from Xinjiang in the
north to Hainan in the south. It operates
in both sub-arctic and tropical areas. The
western backbone network has G.652
and G.655 optical fibers and traverses
20 provinces. The total length of the
network is 22,000 km. The network,
which can be regarded as an optical
s uccess Stories
network system, has the largest span and
most challenging conditions in the world.
From 2G and 3G wireless services to
4G LTE and full-service operation, the
western backbone network is responsible
for bearing and transmitting all China
Mobile provincial services in western
China. It has a strategic role in China in
promoting economic development and
attracting investment in the western region.
After 10 phases of construction,
the single-link capacity of the western
backbone network has been upgraded
from the original 800G to the current 8T,
achieving a leapfrog development.
Delivery Services and Values
Adhering to the idea of “Deliver
Quality Services to Customers”, ZTE
proposed 100G OTN based on ZXONE
8700 CX71. First, ZTE had to fully
understand China Mobile’s requirements for
the western backbone network, provide a
planned solution, and provide line designs.
100G OTN has the following features:
● a combination of soft decision
and hard decision. ZXONE 8700
provides two 100G line solutions—
soft decision and hard decision—
for adapting to the complicated
optical fiber line conditions of the
western backbone network. This
lowers the network construction
cost while ensuring the transmission
performance at the same time.
● largest number of slots and highest
bandwidth utilization. ZXONE 8700
CX71 cross-connect subrack has as
many as 94 100G service slots, the
industry’s largest number of slots that
can support a cross-connect capacity
of 9.4T (the actual access capacity
of 7.4T and the ratio of the customer
side to the line side is 1:1). 100G
OTN boasts the highest bandwidth
utilization compared with the listed
OTN devices from other vendors,
thus contributing to the full use of
backplane bandwidth resources,
reduction of the crossconnect capacity usage, and
protection of investments.
● optimal dispersion tolerance
and PMD tolerance. With
the dispersion tolerance
of +/-70000ps/nm and the
WASON-capable 100G OTN network with a
total length of 20,000 km
maximum DGD tolerance
of 180 ps, 100G OTN is the
optimal one in the industry, which
Focus on Coastal Areas
means that it costs least under the
While helping China Mobile build
same PMD. In addition, it needs
the NBN in western China, ZTE has
no dispersion compensation or
also invested in coastal areas and has
PMD compensation below 3500
undertaken a 100G OTN provincial
km transmission, so as to guarantee
backbone project for China Mobile
a reliable long-distance backbone
Zhejiang (Zhejiang Mobile).
transmission.
After analyzing the current businesses
● full service access types. 100G OTN
and
future network plans of Zhejiang
offers various access services to meet
Mobile,
ZTE has proposed a quality
different access requirements. 10G
100G OTN network solution. In this
customer side boards support the access
solution, ZXONE 8700 CX71 is used to
of 10GE-LAN/WAN/10G POS/STMbuild the 100G OTN provincial backbone
64/OTU2/2e, while 40G customer side
intelligent network. With 9.4T electrical
boards support the access of 40GEcross-connect capacity, 94 service slots
LAN/40G POS/OTU3.
and 8T single-link bandwidth, ZXONE
● comprehensive service and system
8700 CX71 also supports the WASON
protection. ZTE developed a series
intelligent control plane.
of service and system protections,
Zhejiang Mobile approved the
including SNCP-I, SNCP-N, SNCP-S,
proposal
and established a strategic
Och 1+1, OLP, OMS 1+1, Och SPring.
partnership
with ZTE to build the 100G
Moreover, 100G OTN provides 4:2
OTN
provincial
network.
shared protections, which can tolerate
ZTE has been an important strategic
larger system damage.
partner of China Mobile for a long time.
ZTE always adheres to the philosophy
Establish Strategic Partnership
of delivering quality services to
Before the launch, China Mobile
customers for a win-win outcome and
conducted many laboratory tests and
devotes itself to providing the best
weighed the strengths of vendors in
services for customers. Throughout the
terms of equipment and technology,
ten year partnership, China Mobile and
engineering implementation, and
ZTE have achieved a win-win situation
network planning. Finally, China
and are stepping hand in hand towards
Mobile chose ZTE to construct the
world-class renowned enterprises. In the
NBN in western China. The strategic
future, besides the traditional mobile
partnership between China Mobile
network, ZTE is looking forward to
and ZTE indicates China Mobile’s
working closer with China Mobile in
recognition of ZTE’s 100G OTN R&D,
other fields, helping China Mobile grow
engineering, and technical service
into one of the world’s top integrated
capabilities and represents ZTE’s strong
carriers.
competitiveness in 100G OTN market.
OCT 2014 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES
28
S uccess Stories
Eight-Antenna LTE FDD System of
Xuzhou Telecom
By Wang Bin and Li Qianghua
C
hina Telecom faces several
problems in deploying a 4G LTE
network. For example, highfrequency networking and insufficient
site resources limit the coverage of
the 4G network. China Telecom has
therefore chosen ZTE as its strategic
partner to help solve these problems and
expand 4G LTE coverage. Recently, ZTE
worked with China Telecom Xuzhou
Branch (Xuzhou Telecom) to test and
trial an eight-antenna LTE FDD system.
LTE has limited coverage in the
uplink because of high-frequency
bands, high data traffic, and cochannel interference. ZTE has devised
an eight-antenna LTE FDD system
that uses proprietary technologies to
address this coverage issue while fully
29
ZTE TECHNOLOGIES OCT 2014
utilizing existing site resources.
ZTE’s eight-antenna LTE FDD
system uses a baseband pool B8200
and an advanced radio frequency unit
R8862A (Fig. 1). The system has the
following benefits:
● Two cascaded R8862As are used to
reduce feeders and facilitate engineering
implementation.
● An advanced interference-rejection
combining (IRC) algorithm is used, and
it is possible to switch between IRC and
MRC algorithms.
● A closed-loop power control (CLPC)
mechanism is used to reduce the
transmit power of terminals. This makes
terminals more energy efficient and
reduces network interference.
● Antenna arrays are not arranged as
ordinary parallel dual-polarized arrays
but as vertical dual-polarized arrays.
This means the arrays can receive more
multipaths, increase diversity gain, and
improve cell-edge performance.
Xuzhou Telecom has constructed
both eight-antenna and two-antenna
LTE FDD sites. A total of 120 eightantenna LTE FDD sites have been
constructed. The proportion of eightantenna LTE sites to two-antenna LTE
sites is 2:8. Eight-antenna LTE sites
are mainly used to provide coverage
for suburbs, counties, and villages.
When selecting a site for eightantenna LTE, Xuzhou Telecom
considers whether the site makes full
use of Xuzhou Telecom’s existing
s uccess Stories
Figure 1. ZTE’s eight-antenna LTE FDD system.
resources, provides average coverage
radius of about 1 km, and is amenable
to tower-mounted installation that
facilitates feeder installation.
In the first quarter of 2014, ZTE
and Xuzhou Telecom jointly deployed
an eight-antenna LTE FDD network
in Xuzhou City. After the deployment,
they conducted outdoor drive tests and
indoor fixed-point tests and collected
300,000 valid samples for data analysis.
Four valid clusters were tested
in Xuzhou City. The average uplink
throughput reached above 35 Mpbs,
which is the highest in Jiangsu
province. In densely populated urban
areas, the average uplink throughput
of the eight-antenna LTE site was 1.2
to 1.3 times that of a two-antenna LTE
site. In counties, the average uplink
throughput of the eight-antenna LTE
site was 1.5 to 1.8 times that of a
two-antenna LTE site (Fig. 2). In the
suburbs, the average uplink throughput
of the eight-antenna LTE site was 1.8
to 2 times that of a two-antenna LTE
site. For indoor coverage, the average
uplink throughput of an eight-antenna
LTE site was 1.8 to 2 times that of a
two-antenna site.
The trials conducted on ZTE’s
Thp vs RSRP
Suining 8RRLC Throughput
Suining 2RRLC Throughput
50
40
30
20
10
0
-130 -125 -120 -115 -110 -105 -100 -95 -90 -85 -80 -75 -70 -65 -60 -55 -50
Figure 2. Average uplink throughput for an eight-antenna LTE site and two-antenna
LTE site in Suining county in Jiangsu province.
eight-antenna LTE FDD system for
Xuzhou Telecom are significant
to China Telecom. The test results
and engineering verification show
that ZTE’s eight-antenna LTE FDD
system is suitable for counties and
suburbs. The gain in uplink capacity
is relatively high, and site acquisition
and installation is more convenient
in counties and suburbs compared to
dense urban areas.
In June 2014, China Telecom
inspected the eight-antenna LTE FDD
project in Xuzhou City. The project was
highly praised by the leaders and experts
of the Science and Technology Committee
of China Telecom. ZTE outperformed
other manufacturers who participated
in the project. ZTE will continue to
provide innovative solutions to help China
Telecom build quality 4G networks and
lead LTE deployment.
OCT 2014 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES
30
S olutions
ZXTOP 510:
A Complete Solution for Intelligent
Network Planning and Design
By Li Fei
W
ith the development of
fiber-to-the-home (FTTH)
and 4G, last-mile speed has
hastened and high-bandwidth services,
such as cloud computing, online video,
IPTV and massively multiplayer online
gaming, have become widely popular.
In the mobile internet era, the rising
demand for bandwidth has put a strain
on the underlying optical transport
network. The development of SDH to
WDM, 10 GB to 100 GB, traditional to
intelligent networks has ushered in an
era of new, intelligent optical networks.
When launching an intelligent
optical network system, ZTE provides
a package of solutions for hardware
devices, networking, and operation.
In addition to a comprehensive,
intelligent optical network hardware
platform, ZTE has also developed a
powerful intelligent planning software
system called ZXTOP 510. This is
a complete solution for intelligent
network planning and design, network
optimization, device configuration,
performance evaluation, and fault
simulation. ZXTOP 510 enables
customers to easily meet the challenges
of large-scale, intelligent grid networks
and massive diverse service data. It
31
ZTE TECHNOLOGIES OCT 2014
Service Route
Planning
IP/OTN planning
Report and
Interface
Optical-layer
Link Design
Service route report,
wavelength distribution
report, BOM
OADM: Power,
dispersion, OADM
OTN
Performance
Evaluation and
Optimization
Overall network
performance evaluation,
network solutions
comparison
Automatic Device
Configuration
Network Fault
Simulation
Relay, service,
monitoring
Fiber disconnections
simulation
Figure 1. ZXTOP 510 intelligent network planning and design system.
helps customers improve network
planning efficiency to save cost and
time during the design process.
Comprehensive Services
ZXTOP 510 fully supports OTN and
100G systems and has various functions
for link design, power budgeting,
encoding, and board configuration.
ZXTOP 510 has six modules: service
route planning, optical-layer link
design, automatic device configuration,
network fault simulation, performance
evaluation and optimization, and report
olution
s olutions
and interface.
The service route planning module
enables the customer to plan large-scale,
multi-service, WSON-based intelligent
optical networks. The module supports
wavelength-level and sub-wavelengthlevel dynamic routing distribution
and bus, ring, and mesh topology
management. It enables network
planning based on link physical damage
and verifies the planning results so that
the feasibility and accuracy of solutions
are guaranteed. The module has
numerous network-wide load-balancing
strategies and is suitable for multi-goal
network planning.
The optical-layer link design
module is compatible with multiple
WDM systems; for example, it supports
CWDM and DWDM, covers channel
rates from 2.5 Gbps to 100 Gbps,
and functions in both traditional and
intelligent networks. This module is
used for automatic multiplex section
division, OA design and dispersion
compensation, and OADM design.
The automatic device configuration
module has a one-click device
configuration function for intelligently
assigning slots, optimizing boards,
and determining whether devices are
reasonably configured according to
the service plans and optical-layer
physical limitations. Most of all, it can
offer optimization suggestions for the
upcoming expansion networks.
The network fault-simulation
module simulates faults, such as fiber
breakage, node failure, and fiber aging.
It can also simulate service switching,
recovery, and rerouting in different
fault scenarios so that network
survivability and performance can be
precisely evaluated.
The performance evaluation and
optimization module has intelligent
multi-goal plans and algorithms for
optimizing routing and wavelength
along service routes. The module
also evaluates network performance
indicators to boost performance and
save cost. A communications network
is usually built and optimized in
phases. ZXTOP 510 is used to plan
and design the network in phases,
as services grow. Capacity can
be expanded efficiently, and the
performance of different designs can
be predicted.
The report and interface module
has dozens of reports that completely
describe a network planning and design
solution. The module provides twoway interfaces with the NMS so that
the network plan and design can be
imported directly into the NMS. Actual
network data in the NMS can also be
imported into the network planning
and design system for optimization
and incremental design. To generate
bidding BOMs and prices, the report
and interface module supports
interfaces with the contract and
quotation system. Moreover, it supports
interfaces with the logistics system to
collect the board quantity of each type
(with wavelength granularity), allocate
material codes, calculate the amount of
output, and assist in precise material
preparation.
High-Performance Planning and
Optimization Algorithms
As network scale increases, network
planning tends to become more difficult.
Wavelength routing is a typical issue in
NPC and needs to be addressed during
optical network planning. Planning
for hybrid optical-layer and electriclayer in an intelligent optical network is
increasingly complex. An efficient core
algorithm for the planning software
system is necessary to address this
issue. ZXTOP 510 provides an efficient
wavelength routing planning algorithm
with abundant options for a variety
of complicated environments and
scenarios. The corresponding solutions
can be provided rapidly.
When an intelligent optical
network operates for some time,
existing services may need to be
adjusted; network equipment may be
aged; new services may be added;
and network topology may be
changed. All these events can affect
network performance and efficiency.
Therefore, it is necessary to optimize
existing networks. However, network
optimization is complicated because
of scale and complexity. ZXTOP 510
provides a special high-performance
heuristic optimization algorithm to
overcome these difficulties.
Conclusion
ZXTOP 510 is highly efficient
and has comprehensive functions—
it is a complete transmission network
solution. ZXTOP 510 has already been
successfully used in many countries
and regions in Asia Pacific, Europe and
North America. The big three carriers
in China—China Mobile, China
Unicom and China Telecom—have also
been deploying an increasing number
of intelligent ZTE optical products in
their networks. As intelligent optical
networking gains momentum across
the world, ZTE will continue to deliver
first-class solutions and excellent
service to customers.
OCT 2014 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES
32
S olutions
ZTE’s New-Generation
OTN
Solutions
By Zhu Xuetao
I
Challenges for OTN
n the booming mobile internet
era, operators are facing huge
opportunities and challenges.
The demand for mobile bandwidth is
growing exponentially as a result of
the wide deployment of LTE networks.
In the fixed broadband segment, video
services such as IPTV and HDTV have
driven a huge demand for bandwidth.
China has unveiled a national
broadband plan and has drawn up a
specific timetable for greatly improving
user access bandwidth. In recent years,
governments and enterprises have
experienced rapidly growing demand
for bandwidth. Addressing bandwidth
overlapping is the biggest challenge for
mobile operators.
Mobile operators are also
troubled by the “scissors difference”
phenomenon. They have to invest
heavily in network construction every
year to respond to enormous bandwidth
growth. They also must face slow
growth in revenues and squeezed
profits. Improving network resource
utilization and reducing network
deployment and maintenance costs
constitute a second group of important
challenges for mobile operators.
33
ZTE TECHNOLOGIES OCT 2014
Moreover, user experience is
of vital importance in a fiercelycompetitive market. Only a highquality optical transport network
(OTN) can ensure high-speed user
experience anytime, anywhere. Quick
service deployment, flexible service
scheduling, and service security
constitute a third important group of
challenges for mobile operators.
ZTE’s Future-Proof NewGeneration OTN Solutions
With a deep understanding of
operator requirements, ZTE has rolled
out future-oriented new-generation
OTN solutions that cover all network
layers (Fig. 1). The solutions help
operators build a high-bandwidth, highefficiency, high-speed, highly flexible,
secure, intelligent transport network.
IP Backbone
OTN Backbone
100G/Ultra 100G
Packet
Enhanced OTN
AR
Core Router
Optical/Electrical
Cross-Connect
OTN Core Layer
OTN Edge Layer
SDN
Compact
PIC
PTN
access
OLT
VIP
Residential
WASON
CE
SR/BRAS
VIP
VIP
Switch
eNB
3G/2G BS
Figure 1. ZTE’s future-proof new-generation OTN solutions.
s olutions
Core Backbone Layer
In the core backbone layer of an
OTN, upper-layer routers or PTN
devices are evolving to have highspeed ports. Current routers usually
provide 10G or 40G ports, and 100G
ports are gradually being put into
commercial use. OTN serves as a
bottom-layer transport platform that
needs to adapt to the evolution of ports
of upper-layer devices; therefore, 100G
OTN has gradually become the only
choice for the core backbone layer,
and 400G OTN will be unveiled for
commercial use. Although largecapacity OTN improves system
capacity and spectrum efficiency,
traditional OTN provides rigidbandwidth pipes that make it difficult
to optimize service management and
maximize transmission. Therefore,
incorporating packet functions into an
OTN platform can improve bandwidth
efficiency and network flexibility.
Moreover, the WASON intelligent
control plane can further improve OTN
intelligence, reduce OAM difficulty,
and ensure service security through a
unique protection mechanism. In the
future, WASON will smoothly evolve
into software-defined network (SDN)
architecture that can dynamically
adjust optical transmission resources
through software to further improve
network efficiency.
100G and Ultra 100G OTN
ZTE’s 100G OTN solution adopts
coherently-detected PM-QPSK and
industry-leading DSP algorithm. It
also supports SD-FEC and HD-FEC.
The solution has superior transmission
performance that enables a radio
repeater transmission distance of
over 3500 km without the need for
chromatic dispersion compensation
and PMD compensation. This saves
investment and makes OAM easier.
An advanced 28 nm AISC chip is also
used to improve system integration and
greatly reduce power consumption.
ZTE’s 100G OTN solution has been
widely applied around the world.
ZTE’s ultra 100G OTN solution
uses industry-leading QAM and multicarrier technologies. The solution is
capable of long-haul transmission of
11.2T, 24 × 1.3T, 40 × 400G, and 20 ×
440G with a single channel. ZTE has
also cooperated with German Telecom
to complete a 1750 km ultra-longdistance hybrid transmission of 100G,
400G, and 1T signals in Germany.
Ultra-Large-Capacity Packet OTN
ZTE’s new-generation ultra-largecapacity packet OTN solution (ZXONE
9700) is designed for a shared 100G
and ultra 100G platform. Based on the
general-purpose cell cross-connect
platform, ZXONE 9700 provides
a converged optical packet layer
architecture that supports unified
wavelength, OTN, and packet crossconnect platform and provides both
rigid and flexible transmission pipes.
A single ZXONE 9700 subrack
provides the largest cross-connect
capacity and the largest number of slots
in the industry. The electrical crossconnect capacity of 14.4T (72 slots) can
be smoothly evolved into 28.8T, and
the current transmission rate of 100G
can be smoothly increased to 400G.
Intelligent WASON and SDN
ZTE’s intelligent solutions include
WASON and SDN. The WASON
solution (ZXUCP A200) based on an
optical and electrical cross-connect
platform can automatically update
and maintain network information
and schedule traffic for effective endto-end service configuration. This
reduces manpower. As the core-layer
network topology is evolving toward
MESH, ZXUCP A200 can also provide
multiple classes of services and protect
against fiber disconnection in order to
greatly improve network security. The
SDN solution uses software to control
a network. The network architecture
consists of application layer, control
layer, and transport layer. Leveraging
the advantages of WASON and PCE, the
control layer can be smoothly evolved
to SDN architecture. The transport
layer based on software-defined optical
(SDO) and fex-grid technologies enables
groupware, devices and the network
to be programmable and adaptable to
changes in services and scenarios.
MAN Edge Layer
There are many mobile sites at the
MAN edge layer. The communication
distance between these sites is short,
and the sites are usually located in
remote areas with poor equipment
rooms. Therefore, it takes a long time
to deploy services, and maintenance
work is also difficult. To address these
issues, ZTE has launched miniature
OCT 2014 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES
34
S olutions
Figure 2. ZTE’s PIC solution.
OTN and PIC solutions.
Miniature OTN
ZTE’s new-generation miniature
OTN solution (ZXMP M721) can meet
transport requirements at the MAN
edge layer in terms of traffic grooming,
transport performance, maintenance
management, reliable operation, and
energy conservation. ZXMP M721 is
small but has large capacity. It consumes
less power and is highly reliable.
ZXMP M721 provides 1U or 2U
sub-racks, supports either an AC or
DC power supply, and can adapt to
harsh conditions in equipment rooms.
It has powerful functions such as anyservice access, distributed electrical
cross-connect platform, and flexible
service scheduling and grooming. Each
board of a ZXMP M721 has builtin protection for service security and
saves valuable slot resources as well.
PIC
Traditional OTNs encompass
semiconductor lasers, optical
35
ZTE TECHNOLOGIES OCT 2014
modulators, detectors, optical
amplifiers, optical waveguides, and
optical filters. These components are
distributed on different boards and
make traditional OTNs cumbersome,
complicated, and costly. PIC
technology integrates the distributed
optical components into a single chip.
ZTE’s PIC solution integrates
traditional eight-channel lasers,
modulators, PIN receivers, eightchannel optical combiners, splitters,
broadband filters into a single chip.
The chip functions as an eight-channel
transponder and a MUX/DMUX in the
traditional WDM system (Fig. 2).
With the PIC solution, a single
board is capable of multiplexing,
demultiplexing, sending, and
receiving of multichannel signals.
This significantly reduces the number
of fiber connections, saves space in
equipment rooms at the MAN edge
layer, and lowers power consumption.
Conclusion
ZTE has unveiled new-generation
OTN solutions that cover all network
layers, from backbone to edge.
The 100G and ultra 100G, packet
OTN, WASON, and SDN solutions
are designed for the core backbone
layer, and the miniature OTN and
PIC solutions are used for the MAN
edge layer. These solutions not only
meet high-bandwidth and high-speed
transport needs but also provide flexible
communication pipes. This greatly
improves transmission efficiency and
helps operators build a truly flexible
new-generation OTN.
In the future, the new-generation
OTN will evolve towards ultra 100G
and SDN that can provide service
awareness, rapid deployment, instant
bandwidth, and easy maintenance and
control while delivering a higher rate
transmission. The new-generation OTN
solution will offer better user experience
and help operators continually reduce
opex and create new profit models. ZTE
is committed to helping operators build
an open, flexible, and efficient OTN in
the cloud era.
p ress Clipping
ZTE Is the Fastest
Growing of the World’s
Top Three LTE Suppliers
Zhang Jianguo,
VP of ZTE Corporation
T
he 10th LTE World Summit was
held at the RAI in Amsterdam
from 23rd to 25th June 2014.
It was an important event and brought
together the leading operators, content
providers, analysts, associations and
vendors within the LTE industry. Tech
journalist Benny Har-Even interviewed
Zhang Jianguo, VP of ZTE Corporation
at the summit.
Q: In recent years the global market
for LTE network deployment and
construction has grown quickly. What
has ZTE been doing in terms of LTE?
A: ZTE has signed 145 LTE\EPC
contracts and are one of the world’s
top three LTE suppliers. At present
we are in approximately 70% of
countries that have invested in
LTE. We have successfully launched
commercial LTE services for operators
including Bharti, China Mobile, China
Telecom, Hutchison, Softbank, Telenor,
TeliaSonera, VimpelCom, and Vodafone.
In the international market, ZTE
is working with VimpelCom, KPN,
Telenor and other multinational telecom
operators in the development of
commercial LTE networks in Russia,
Belgium and Hungary. In addition, we
are helping major international operators
implement commercial 4G strategies
and build high-quality networks.
According to a recent IHS report, ZTE
became the fastest-growing LTE supplier,
and the third largest, with over 100,000
LTE eNodeB shipments, accounting for
17.9% of the global LTE market.
ZTE is also the largest LTE solution
provider in China. At the end of 2013
China began the construction of its 4G
infrastructure and by mid-2014 had
already witnessed the construction of
more LTE networks than most countries
in the world, only behind the USA, Japan,
and South Korea. The sheer size and
speed of construction in China has taken
By Benny Har-Even
Jun 23, 2014
Source: lteconference.wordpress.com
the industry and the world by surprise.
In the bid for the China Mobile Phase
1 4G-LTE project, ZTE secured 26% of
the business. In China Telecom’s bid for
major 4G LTE network equipment, ZTE’s
LTE products were adopted for 90% of
the provinces, accounting for nearly 40%
of the tender. In addition, ZTE built core
networks for 15 provinces, cities, and
autonomous regions, and ranked first in
the market share for both wireless and
core networks.
By 2016, China will be the global
center of LTE construction, which puts
ZTE in a strong position for further
overseas expansion.
Q: Why has ZTE been so successful
in achieving this growth in the 4G
market?
A: We believe that our success is based
on a strong focus on understanding
customer demands, the ability to
respond rapidly, continuous innovation
through a strong focus on R&D, and
the ability to provide cost-effective but
efficient and high -quality solutions.
Through the market ups and
downs of the last 25 years, ZTE has
consistently spent 10% of revenues on
R&D, keeping us at the forefront of
OCT 2014 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES
36
P ress Clipping
the industry in technical knowledge
and development. We are focused on
technical innovation that improves lean
operation and delivers lower overall
costs for operators, and we have a focus
on sharing platforms to enhance product
competitiveness and help our customers
gain market advantages. For operators,
ZTE also specializes in enhancing
partnerships in TD-LTE with firstclass operators such as China Mobile,
Softbank, and Bharti.
In addition, ZTE works with the
Global TD-LTE Initiative (GTI) to
promote global TD-LTE application
and to convert industry-leading product
advantages into market advantages. For
FDD-LTE, ZTE will continue to focus
on major markets and operators, further
explore existing markets, and optimize
the market structure to enter more
markets.
Q: What advantages do you think
ZTE’s LTE products have over your
competition?
A: ZTE is driven to achieve independent
innovation, and has 13% of the total
required patents in the 4G LTE industry.
ZTE hopes to use those innovations to
lower communication network costs for
operators, and to provide better services
for users at the end of the industry chain.
More operators have started
deploying LTE networks around the
world, and they are facing two major
challenges: high bearer requirements
of LTE networks, and complicated LTE
network interference. ZTE’s pioneering
cloud radio solution, which achieves
intra-eNodeB and inter-eNodeB
physical-layer collaboration in LTE
networks, addresses the interference
problems caused by co-channel and
heterogeneous LTE networks, optimizes
37
ZTE TECHNOLOGIES OCT 2014
network performance, and maximizes
user experience.
Incorporating over 200 patents
and more than 20 innovations, we
believe that the cloud radio solution is
technically the most sophisticated and
conceptually the most cutting-edge
coordination solution for radio access
networks in the mobile communications
field. It has lower requirements for
bearer networks than the standard
coordination solution but can still deliver
over 90% coordination performance
gains, allowing operators to achieve
significant traffic performance gains
with much lower bandwidth costs. In
May 2014, ZTE and China Mobile in
Fujian province won the 2014 Global
Telecoms Business Innovation award
for wireless network infrastructure
innovation with the cloud radio solution
for TD-LTE networks.
Operators face a series of
networking problems (for example, poor
network coverage due to insufficient
sites) when deploying high-frequency
4G LTE networks. To solve these
problems, ZTE has launched an LTE
network coverage enhancement solution
that meets the coverage enhancement
requirements for 4-antenna reception
and 8-antenna reception by using the
most compact multi-antenna RRU
in the industry. ZTE’s multi-antenna
coverage enhancement solution is easily
deployed and significantly enhances
frequency efficiency, improves network
performance, and provides better user
experience. This solution has been
proven in China Telecom’s large and
complex networks. ZTE and China
Telecom won the Wireless Network
Infrastructure Innovation award for
the multi-antenna LTE coverage
enhancement solution at the GTB
Innovation Awards ceremony on May 14.
ZTE provides a full series of
industry-leading LTE eNodeBs,
including distributed eNodeBs, indoor
and outdoor macro eNodeBs, and small
cells, to meet operator deployment
requirements in different scenarios.
ZTE first launched the 365 Mbps ultrawideband miniaturised RRU product
(12L, 12 kg, 2T2R, 2 × 80 W), which
we believe is the most highly integrated
device in the industry and provides
more flexible multi-RAT networking
solutions. ZTE launched a BBU with
the smallest size and largest capacity
in the industry. This product supports
multiple RATs, including GSM, UMTS,
LTE FDD, and TD-LTE, and can meet
the processing capacity of commercial
networks and operator requirements for
multi-RAT deployment.
In addition, ZTE is bringing the
convenience of wireless broadband
networks to some professional fields
by providing innovative solutions.
For example, on April 16, the ATG
demonstration was performed on two
p ress Clipping
LTE
Chinese flights, which indicates that
ZTE has broken the limitations of
telecommunications technologies at
the speed of 800–1000 km/h in the air.
ZTE is conducting technical research
and innovations to make it possible for
people to access mobile communications
networks on a plane in the coming years.
Q: What has ZTE been achieving with
operator network construction outside
China?
A: ZTE’s aim is to become a strategic
partner for operators worldwide.
Many commercial networks built by
ZTE are providing industry-leading
performance, gaining recognition
for their performance in major thirdparty assessments. For example,
Hong Kong’s CSL ranked first in an
independent network performance
indicator test, H3G Austria was given
the highest score in a third-party
KPI test, and Base Belgium ranked
first in a third-party assessment.
The network construction and
delivery of major projects such as the
Telenor Hungary and German E-Plus
projects, have been highly praised
by customers. In May 2014, ZTE and
China Mobile Fujian won the GTB
Wireless Network Infrastructure
Innovation award for the TD-LTE
network deployed using the cloud
radio solution, and ZTE and China
Telecom also won the same award
for the multi-antenna LTE coverage
enhancement solution. ZTE was also
awarded “Supplier of the Year 2013”
by E-Plus in Germany, which is a
subsidiary of the Dutch KPN Group.
Q: There has been a lot of discussion
about 5G recently. What is ZTE’s
view on 5G?
A: 5G research is still in the
initial stages. It is focused on user
requirements, scenario analysis, and
possible technology development trends.
Future 5G technologies will focus on
large capacity (1,000-fold capacity), low
delay (less than 5 ms), and multiservice
support. The 1,000-fold capacity
improvement will become a special
focus for the industry. ZTE has been
conducting research on these issues and
has formulated a number of opinions.
ZTE views the future of 5G
networks as more of an evolution than
a revolution. Post-4G development can
also be included in 5G research. Based
on existing technologies, future 5G
networks will focus more on technical
integration and user experience. By
integrating the achievements of IEEE
wireless access technologies and IT
technologies, 5G networks will truly
become intelligent and integrated
ICT mobile communications network
platforms. Compared with previous
generations, future 5G technologies
may not include a new transitional
technology as a distinct feature. The
research on 5G networks will focus
on user requirements and the selection
of solutions based on each separate
scenario. 5G networks will be intelligent
networks that integrate multiple wireless
technologies, and the scenarios will be
defined, and services selected, based on
user and service requirements.
ZTE has proposed technical ideas,
such as the cloud-based network
architecture, cloud radio networking,
and SDA multiservice air interface
adaptation, for the future development
of 5G. The future of 5G is an open
ecosystem, and ZTE is working closely
with the industry to contribute to the
future development of 5G networks.
In addition, ZTE is investing
more strategic resources in 5G,
and undertaking activities in major
technology research, product prototype
development, system simulation, and
patent reserves.
OCT 2014 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES
38

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