Quality of Service Provisioning in High-Capacity 5G Fronthaul/Backhaul Networks

Passive Optical Networks (PONs) are an efficient high-performance optical access solution that is able to provide huge bandwidth in a resourceful way through the incorporation of inexpensive passive elements. PONs have been widely used for the provision of high-demand services to a number of wired end-users. However, the PON configuration may be also used for the support of wireless end-users through the integration of the PON with a wireless access system. This converged network can therefore take advantage of the mobility features of the wireless network and the high-bandwidth benefits of the PON. In this article, we highlight the basic features of the existing optical-wireless access systems. Moreover, we discuss the challenges in the medium access control layer of the converged network and viable solutions for the efficient Quality of Service management support.