scf238-01 5g Small Cell Productdefinitions

DOCUMENT
238.10.01
5G small cell
architecture and
product definitions
Configurations and Specifications
for companies deploying small cells
2020-2025
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Credits
Editor Company
Vicky Messer Picocom
Prabhakar Chitrapu AT&T
Contributor Company
Julius Robson Small Cell Forum
Gopal Ghaghada JMA Wireless
Iris Barcia Keima
Vikas Dixit Reliance Jio
Ryan Husbands BT
Report title: SCF238 5G Small cell architecture and product definitions

Issue date: 08 July 2020
Version: 238.10.01
Scope
The aim of this report is to provide an informed and consensual view of 5G small cell
network architectures and product definitions.
Building on consensus within the industry, this document aims to provide a valuable
reference for the ecosystem as a whole and for external stakeholders such as
regulators.
Current 5G small cell products – and deployments to date – are prototype-based. They
are not a true reflection of the products likely to be deployed over the next five years.
Thus, this report aims to offer a guide to the types of small cell products that will be
developed and deployed in the years to come.
The key outputs from this report include:
• Definition of a 5G small cell network

• Top indoor and outdoor small cell deployment scenarios meeting 5G use
cases
• Summary of 5G small cell RAN architecture options
• Summary of small cell regulation, including volume and power classes
• Reference hardware configurations for the main 5G small cell products
expected to be on the market from 2020 to 2025
This paper is aimed at the following target audience:
• Silicon SoC and IP vendors targeting the small cell market – such as RFIC, L1
PHY, L2-L3 stack, fronthaul and network timing solutions
• Small cell vendors
• System integrators
• Mobile network operators (MNOs), both public and private
• Industry regulators and planning authorities

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Definition of commonly used terms
Term Description
3GPP The 3rd Generation Partnership Project. A standards organization
developing 5G standards (TS38 series)
CBRS Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS). Shared spectrum in the 3.5 GHz
"innovation band".
CN/5CN The Core Network is the central part of the network which provides
services to customers connected to the radio access network. 5GC is the
5G core network
CPRI The Common Public Radio Interface. A legacy fronthaul specification
CU The Centralized Unit in a disaggregated radio access network (RAN)
DU The Distributed Unit in a disaggregated radio access network (RAN)
eCPRI Enhanced Common Public Radio Interface. An evolution of CPRI, an
interface that sends data from the RRUs to the baseband unit
EIRP Effective Isotropic Radiated Power
eMBB Enhanced Mobile broadband
FAPI Functional API multi-vendor Platform Interface specifications released by
the SCF
FR1 Frequency bands within ranges below 7.225 GHz
FR2 Frequency bands within ranges above 24.250 GHz
gNodeB 5G Network equipment that transmits and receives wireless
communications between a UE and a mobile network
HLS Higher-Layer Split (HLS). A centralized unit (CU) – distributed unit (DU)
interface which is more tolerant to delay. See also LLS.
ICNIRP The International Commission on Non-ionizing Radiation Protection
IoT Internet of Things
JOTS Joint Operator Technical Specification. Mutually agreed standards for
shared access equipment and solutions
LABS Local Area Base Station class as defined by 3GPP
LLS Lower-Layer Split (LLS). An LLS is more latency- sensitive and demanding
on bandwidth but may offer improved radio performance across a coverage
area due to coordination gain. See also HLS.
MABS Medium Area Base Station class as defined by 3GPP
MCL Maximum coupling loss
mMTC Massive machine type communications
nFAPI Network Functional Application Platform Interface. nFAPI defines a network
protocol that is used to connect a physical network function (PNF) running
LTE Layer 1 to a virtual network function (VNF) running LTE layer 2 and
above
NG Next Generation Interface between gNodeB and 5G Core Network
NR New Radio. This is a new radio access technology (RAT) developed by
3GPP for the 5G (fifth generation) mobile network
O-RAN Alliance An organization focused on operator-defined next generation RAN
architecture and interfaces
MIMO Multiple Input Multiple Output
PHY Physical layer
Radio Access Radio Access Network
Network (RAN)
RFIC Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit
RRH Remote Radio Head in a disaggregated radio access network (RAN)
RU The Radio Unit in a disaggregated radio access network (RAN)

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Term Description
SAWAP Small Area Wireless Access Point
SOHO Small Office/Home oOfice
SME Small to Medium Enterprise
TRXU Transmitter and Receiver Unit or RF chain
URLLC Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communications
WABS Wide Area Base Station Class as defined by 3GPP

Version: 238.10.01
Executive summary
The wireless industry has changed almost out of recognition in the decade since the
Small Cell Forum first sought to answer the question: What is a small cell?
In the early days, small cells (or femtocells as they were originally called) looked fairly
similar, regardless of the environment in which they would be deployed, and were
easily distinguishable in size, weight and power output from other mobile equipment.
In the 5G era, small cells will be deployed in a far wider range of scenarios (for
example driven by release of new spectrum in the sub-6 GHz and millimeter ranges),
and the form factors and architectures will be extremely varied.
For 5G, the introduction of virtualized, disaggregated networks means that some small
cells will consist of two or three elements, while others will still be all-in-one. The 5G
small cell product’s form factor, power, size, interfaces and specification will vary
according to the use case and deployment scenario.
This paper is the result of an SCF member study which has been supported by a major
survey of operators, other small cell deployers, and supply chain members. This is the
first such study of its kind. It provides an informed view of the most important
configurations and specifications for companies deploying small cells between now and
2025.
This paper aims to provide a consensus view and concise definition of the types of 5G
small cells being rolled out now and in the near future. It also aims to define the key
characteristics of the different types of commercially viable 5G small cell RAN products
that will be available over the next five years. It takes account of 3GPP and O-RAN
Alliance 5G disaggregated open RAN specifications – work that covers macrocells but
also includes microcells and picocells.
We hope the work will be valuable for the whole ecosystem: for vendors and
components makers looking to prioritize their development efforts on the areas of
highest demand; for operators, to help as they make their architecture choices; and
for external stakeholders such as regulators.
Diversification of the small cell architecture
This report is timely now because the mobile industry is on the cusp of several
significant and interrelated trends, all of which will have a profound impact on the way
small cells are designed and deployed. Three key trends are driving unprecedented
diversification of the small cell form factors and architectures:
• Cellular technology is moving beyond generic mobile broadband services and

starting to be adopted for many different purposes, by a wide range of
enterprises, industries and government agencies. Different environments and
use cases have very different performance and form factor requirements,
from a huge distributed radio system for a large campus to an almost
invisible unit embedded in a pavement for a smart traffic application. A
diversity of spectrum bands, including shared spectrum, will also be in play.
• The virtualization of the mobile networks is driving adoption of

disaggregated, multivendor architectures in which radio units are separated
from virtualized baseband units. This can be done in several different ways
according to the needs of the use case.

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• The roll-out of 5G will drive further proliferation of small cell designs because
it will push densification and scale of deployment to new levels. 5G will often
be deployed in relatively high frequency bands, which lend themselves to
small cells, and it will be implemented as a ubiquitous network designed to
support every kind of user, location and application.
With these three trends at work in parallel, it is unsurprising that one size will no
longer fit all in the small cell landscape – or even 100 sizes. Small Cell Forum’s annual
Market Status report found that the adoption of new architectures would accelerate
rapidly in the early 2020s. By the end of 2023, 54% of small cell deployers expect to
have started implementing disaggregated networks, 47% will have at least some small
cells virtualized, and 27% will be running in cloud-native mode. Yet in the enterprise
market and in private networks, almost 20% of small cells deployed will still be all-in-
one designs in the same period.
Common interfaces and design frameworks are key for

interoperability and scale
This highlights the need for clear understanding of the requirements for each of the
many options that will be needed. The risk of diversity is fragmentation, so deployers
and vendors will benefit from having clear baseline definitions of the technical
specifications, power and spectrum choices, and key interfaces, for any given
architecture in any given environment. That will enable the industry to innovate within
common, agreed design frameworks, supporting diversity while also maintaining
scalability and interoperability.
Small Cell Forum’s work on common interfaces, at system-on-chip level (FAPI and 5G
FAPI) and system level (nFAPI) is the best-established effort to define that common
framework within which many designs and many suppliers can innovate and
interwork. The survey of operators and other stakeholders, conducted for this report
to understand key design requirements, highlighted strong support for these
interfaces and SCF’s Split 6 architecture.
This is particularly strong among operators or other organizations which are planning
to deploy small cells in enterprise and industrial environments. In the indoor
enterprise setting, 48% plan to support Option 6 for the split between radio units,
distributed units and centralized units in disaggregated networks. There was also
significant support in private industrial and campus networks.
Just as no single design works for all the diverse requirements in 4G and 5G, so there
will be a need for several split options, to accommodate the wide variety of network
architectures and user environments that will be adopted. Many operators plan to
support more than one split, depending on scenario. For instance, Option 7.x, which
also spans macro cells, has its strongest support in public urban and rural networks,
where there will be cells of all sizes in use.
The key is not to have rigid uniformity, but that the industry converges around a small
number of splits and interfaces, to provide flexibility for operators without sacrificing
scale and interoperability. There are strong signs that the industry is indeed narrowing
in on just two or three split choices in small cells. That, in turn, makes this study
much-needed, because once the common frameworks are in place, all stakeholders
need to understand the capabilities that will be required in each environment. That will
enable them to launch and deploy small cells which can achieve scale rapidly because
they are clearly aligned to the practical requirements of each sector and use case.

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Contents
1. Definition of 5G Small Cells and Small Cell Networks ...1
2. 5G Small Cell Deployment Scenarios ............................4
2.1 Survey Results on Planned 5G Small Cell Deployments ........ 6
3. Small Cell Network Architecture and Product Types .....8
3.1 Integrated (All-In-One) Small Cells .................................... 8
3.2 Disaggregated Small Cell Networks .................................... 9
4. Small Cell Power Considerations ................................15
4.1 Overview of Factors which Drive Power ............................ 15
4.2 Exposure Safety Limits ................................................... 15
4.3 ‘Installation’ – the Proximity of Base Stations to People ...... 16
4.4 Light Deployment Regimes with Permit Exemption............. 16
4.5 Network Performance – 3GPP BS Classes ......................... 17
4.6 Summary of Design Considerations for Small Cell RF Power 19
5. 5G-Small Cell Product Definitions ...............................21
5.1 Integrated Small Cell Configurations (Survey Results) ........ 22
5.2 Radio Unit (RU) for Disaggregated Networks (Survey Results)
................................................................................... 24
5.3 Distributed Unit (DU) for Disaggregated Networks (Survey
Results) ....................................................................... 27
5.4 Analysis and Discussion of Configuration Results ............... 28
6. Conclusions ................................................................33
References ............................................................................34
Tables
Table 2-1 Key characteristics of deployment scenarios ...................................5
Table 4-1 Key parameters from 3GPP local area and medium area BS class
[38.104], and worked examples of different RF and antenna
configurations .......................................................................... 18
Figures
Figure 1-1 3GPP 5G NR Overall Architecture [TS 38.300] (Source 3GPP) [] .......1
Figure 1-2 Integrated small cell in Network ...................................................2
Figure 1-3 Small cell network with disaggregated small cells ...........................2
Figure 2-1 5G Small Cell Deployment Scenarios..............................................4
Figure 2-2 Distribution of responding organizations ........................................6
Figure 2-3 Planned networks, short and medium term, by small cell scenario ....7
Figure 2-4 Planned number of small cells deployed per scenario .......................7
Figure 3-1 SCF's view of commercially viable 5G small cell network solutions ....8
Figure 3-2 Integrated small cell architecture ..................................................8

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Figure 3-3 Split options for disaggregated RAN ..............................................9
Figure 3-4 Two-unit disaggregated RAN with split option 2 ............................ 10
Figure 3-5 Three-unit disaggregated RAN with O-RAN split option 2/7.x .......... 10
Figure 3-6 Two-unit disaggregated RAN with O-RAN split option 7.2x ............. 10
Figure 3-7 Three-unit disaggregated RAN with SCF split options 2/6 ............... 11
Figure 3-8 Two-unit disaggregated RAN with SCF split option 6 ...................... 11
Figure 3-9 Three-unit disaggregated RAN with split option 2/8 ....................... 11
Figure 3-10 Two-unit disaggregated RAN with split option 8 ............................ 12
Figure 3-11 Disaggregation network adoption ................................................ 12
Figure 3–12 Chosen architecture for small networks to be deployed .................. 13
Figure 3-13 Relative volumes of small cell products ........................................ 13
Figure 3-14 Networks for a given scenario using split 6 or 7 small cell radio units
.............................................................................................. 14
Figure 4-1 Overview of considerations which determine RF power specifications
of small cells ............................................................................ 15
Figure 4-2 RF exposure limits applicable to mobile networks adopted by different
regions [GSMA] ........................................................................ 16
Figure 4-3 Installation rules developed by IEC and adopted by the SCF, ITU and
European Union which ensure compliance with ICNIRP exposure
limits. [SCF012] ....................................................................... 17
Figure 4-4 Example 5G FR1 small cell transceiver and antenna configuration,
with EIRP ................................................................................. 19
Figure 4-5 Small cell power design envelopes .............................................. 19
Figure 5-1 FR1 TX/RX chains per deployment scenario (all products) .............. 28
Figure 5-2 FR1 rated output power per deployment scenario (all products) ...... 29
Figure 5-3 FR1 bandwidth per deployment scenario (all products) .................. 29
Figure 5-4 Multi-carrier support per deployment scenario (all products) .......... 30
Figure 5-5 FR1 frequency bands per deployment scenario (all products) ......... 30
Figure 5-6 3GPP release by product and wave .............................................. 31
Figure 5-7 FR1 TX/RX chains by product and wave........................................ 31

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1. Definition of 5G Small Cells and Small Cell Networks
A small cell is a cellular base station that transmits & receives 3GPP-defined RF signals
with small power and small form factor. In most cases, it services a small coverage
area.
The 3GPP-defined signals include 2G, 3G, 4G (LTE and its variants) and 5G (NR)
signals. These signals may also be integrated with Wi-Fi at various levels (spectrum
level as in LAA, or core network level as in Wi-Fi calling, etc.).
A 5G-era small cell may support simultaneously 4G LTE and 5G NR. Alternatively,
separate 4G and 5G small cells may co-exist in the same network.
A 5G NR small cell is one or multiple network units which fulfil the 3GPP TS 38 series
NG-RAN (new radio – radio access network) gNB specification [1]. The small cell RAN
interfaces to the core network (CN) or 5G core network (5GC) by a 3GPP-defined
interface. It is illustrated in Figure 1-1, which shows both an integrated gNB (on the
left) and disaggregated gNBs (on the right). The disaggregated architecture shown on
the right has two units, gNB-CU and gNB-DU, with split 2 at the F1 interface
[TS38.473].
Figure 1-1 3GPP 5G NR Overall Architecture [TS 38.300] (Source 3GPP) 2
A small cell network is a network of small cells, which may be integrated (as shown in
Figure 1-2), or disaggregated into two or three products (as shown in Figure 1-3).
Figure 1-3 includes two options on the two-product case, one with a high layer split
(HLS) and one with a low layer split (LLS). Disaggregated small cell solutions are
being standardized by 3GPP, the SCF and the O-RAN Alliance, and are described in
more detail in section 3.

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Figure 1-2 Integrated small cell in Network
Figure 1-3 Small cell network with disaggregated small cells
Disaggregated architectures are being standardized by three industry organizations:

3GPP, Small Cell Forum and O-RAN Alliance. These, and non-standardized solutions,
are described in greater detail in section 3.
5G NR small cell networks support one or more of the 5G-era services (eMBB, URLLC
and mMTC (or mIOT)) to serve different 5G-era market segments. The Small Cell
Forum has published white papers describing how small cells can serve each of these
5G-era services [SCF197] [3] [SCF198] [4] [SCF199] [5].
5G small cells are compliant to 3GPP TS38 series specifications where relevant to
small cell feature support.
• Release 15 is the first 5G NR release and defines the eMBB service support,
including non-standalone (NSA) and standalone (SA) operation.
• Release 16 includes additional MIMO, beamforming, dual carrier and carrier
aggregation support, unlicensed spectrum, and industrial IoT and URLLC
service support.
• Release 17 provides further feature enhancements for eMBB, URLLC and
mMTC service support.
• Small cells generally support two lower coverage range base station classes
defined by 3GPP [TS38.104] [6] which also determine the RF performance:

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• Medium-range base stations (derived from microcell scenarios) for
outdoor small cell deployment.
• Local area base stations (derived from picocell scenarios) for indoor
small cells.
• Small cells support a variety of frequency bands as defined by 3GPP

[TS38.104], which are divided into the FR1 (sub-6 GHz) and FR2 (millimeter
wave or mmW) bands.
• Depending on deployment, these may be either licensed (for example to

an MNO), or shared (such as CBRS spectrum in the US) or unlicensed
(such as 2.4 and 5GHz bands used by Wi-Fi networks).
• Small cells would generally exclude mMIMO (massive MIMO), where there are
more than 16TX and 16RX co-located RF channels or TRXUs. Larger
configurations such as 32TX and 32RX TRXUs are more suitable for
macrocell.
• Beamforming and hybrid beamforming are relevant particularly to FR2

small cells.
• Multi-User MIMO (MU-MIMO) and single-user MIMO (SI-MIMO) are also
relevant to small cells.
Small cell power considerations are summarized in section 4, whereas typical small
cell product configurations are explored further in section 5 using industry survey
data.

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2. 5G Small Cell Deployment Scenarios
SCF market analysis has categorized 5G small cell environments to meet the 5G use
cases over the next five years as follows:
• Residential (or SOHO): Indoor deployment

• Indoor enterprise: office spaces, commercial real estate, hotels, healthcare
etc. This can be further broken down into small, medium and large enterprise
• Private Industrial: Indoor/outdoor private networks to support enterprise and
industrial applications [SCF235] [7]
• Campus environments Indoor and outdoor venues, manufacturing complexes,
educational institutions and stadiums
• Outdoor dense urban public
• Outdoor rural public
Figure 2-1 5G Small Cell Deployment Scenarios
Table 2-1 provides the key characteristics of these deployment scenarios:
Deployment scenario Key characteristics
Indoor residential (or SOHO) Single small cell

Very low cost
Low power consumption and power rating
Lowest size/volume
Low mobility
Low user count (capacity)
Low throughput self-backhaul
Plug and play customer install
Indoor enterprise (small, medium, Small cell network
large) Varying cost: low to medium cost
Low-high eMBB capacity
Radio unit low size/volume
Backhaul 100 (small) -3000Mbps (large)
Copper (small)/fiber fronthaul infrastructure
Low power consumption and power rating
Potentially neutral host and edge computing
[SCF234]
Customer install (small) to professional install (large)

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Deployment scenario Key characteristics
Private Industrial: Indoor/outdoor High capacity (eMBB and mMTC)

[SCF235] Copper/fiber fronthaul infrastructure
Use cases may drive high reliability/low latency
(URLLC [SCF199], Industry 4.0, edge computing
[SCF234] and potentially high security
Licensed, unlicensed or shared spectrum (CBRS)
NMO/neutral host/third party network providers
Campus: Indoor/outdoor High capacity eMBB
environments Copper/fiber fronthaul infrastructure
Professional install
Dense urban: Outdoor dense High capacity eMBB
urban public network Professional install (MNO)
Rural public: Outdoor networks High mobility
High coverage (higher power rating)
Potentially non-ideal front/backhaul
Table 2-1 Key characteristics of deployment scenarios
These deployment scenarios are used in the supporting survey (see below) to
determine which architectures, splits and small cell product configurations operators
and vendors are considering. These are outlined in later sections of this report.

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2.1 Survey Results on Planned 5G Small Cell Deployments
A supporting survey of 62 respondents providing planned 5G deployment of small cells

over wave 1 (short term 2020 to 2021) and wave 2 (mid-term 2022 to 2025) has
been carried out.
Survey respondents were made up of:
• 67 operators.
• five vendors (who answered on the basis of the main scenarios envisaged)
• 86 networks (with 24 operators providing data on more than one network)
Figure 2-2 illustrates the geographical distribution of respondents and the vendor
respondents.
It is important to note that most responses came from SE Asia and Europe. The North
American market had a relatively small representation. Chinese MNOs did not
respond. These will all affect the survey results. For example, there is less
representation of private networks using shared spectrum, which is popular in North
America.
Distribution of the 86 networks Surveyed
Vendors, 5 N America,
Other 8
operators, 3
S Asia, 5
Europe, 20
SE Asia, 21
Figure 2-2 Distribution of responding organizations
Figure 2-3 illustrates respondents’ planned networks by small cell scenario deployment
type. The largest category is indoor enterprise, but there are also significant plans for
campus, dense urban and private/industrial deployments. Wave 2 may include
extensions of existing networks.

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Planned networks by small cell scenario
30
No of networks 25 7 2020-21 2022-25
20
15 5 6
6
10 21
0
5 10 12 11
0 6
0 2
Residential Indoor Private Campus Dense Rural
enterprise industrial urban public
Figure 2-3 Planned networks, short and medium term, by small cell scenario
Figure 2-4 shows the characteristics of small cell networks for each deployment
scenario. For example, within the 28 networks serving the indoor enterprise scenarios,
there are 11 networks with 1,000 – 2,000 small cells, three networks with 251-500
small cells and so on.
Planned number of small cells deployed per scenario
<100 101-250 251-500 501-1000 1,001-2,000 >2000

12
10
No of networks
0
Expected number of cells
Figure 2-4 Planned number of small cells deployed per scenario

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3. Small Cell Network Architecture and Product Types
This section provides a brief summary of the industry-leading 5G RAN small cell
network architecture types and subsequently product types expected to be available
from small cell vendors.
For 5G NR small cell RAN architectures include:
• Integrated small cells with collapsed gNB/RAN functionality.

• Disaggregated gNB/RAN architecture with ‘small cell network (SCN)’ of two or
three small cell products for different network splits using open RAN
standards. There are multiple radio units (RUs) connecting to a distributed
unit (DU), and multiple DUs connected to a centralized unit (CU).
There may also be fronthaul gateway units, which aggregate and distribute the
fronthaul, and in some cases convert between fronthaul standards. These are not the
focus of this paper, but they are mentioned briefly.
The most popular architecture options within the industry are illustrated and discussed
in more detail below.
Figure 3-1 SCF's view of commercially viable 5G small cell network solutions
3.1 Integrated (All-In-One) Small Cells
These integrated small cells provide RAN gNB layer 1,2,3, RF and antenna
functionality within a single physical unit and interface with the core network through
the 3GPP NG interface. Examples of these are products for residential, SME
applications and industrial/private deployments. The SCF FAPI PHY API should be used
to interface the software stack to the PHY hardware, which comes from different
vendors [SCF222] [8].
PDCP RLC 5G-FAPI

PHY Radio
RRC MAC
Figure 3-2 Integrated small cell architecture

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Advantages include ease of installation (plug ‘n’ play) and suitability for low-bandwidth
copper backhaul. Disadvantages include capability limitations and lack of scalability.
3.2 Disaggregated Small Cell Networks
Disaggregation of RAN and Small Cell Networks is presently being pursued in the
industry, because it can potentially bring several advantages: such as efficient
operation of remote radio units via centralized units, gains of pooling centralized
resources, potential cost reduction due to low complexity radio units & shared
centralized units etc.
There are different type of disaggregated SCNs where multiple CUs, DUs and/or radio
or remote units (RUs) are deployed over the network.
The CU may be a shared virtual entity running on virtualized infrastructure in data

centers, while the RU is typically dedicated hardware at the cell site. The DU may have
a combination of dedicated and general-purpose hardware, depending on the protocol
split.
The 3GPP technical specification [TS38.801] defines different protocol split options for
disaggregated RAN as illustrated in Figure 3-3, and those splits highlighted are
industry standardized interfaces:
Figure 3-3 Split options for disaggregated RAN
Split option 2 is referred to as a high layer split (HLS) option, whereas split options 6,
7 and 8 are low layer split (LLS) options. A low layer split demands a higher fronthaul
bandwidth and is less delay-tolerant than a high layer split. However, a low layer split
offers co-ordination and subsequent performance benefits. The optimal network split is
deployment scenario-dependent, as discussed in section 3.2.5. A study within SCF
comparing the benefits of the leading network splits, is underway.
3.2.1 3GPP Split Option-2 Solution
3GPP [TS38.300] defines the higher layer split 2 with the F1 interface between the
gNB-CU and one or more gNB-DUs.
• CU: The gNB-CU includes SDAP, PDCP and RRC protocols.

• DU: The gNB-DU(s) includes RLC, MAC, PHY, baseband and RF processing. The
SCF FAPI PHY API should be used to interface the software stack to the PHY
hardware, which comes from different vendors [SCF222].

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Figure 3-4 Two-unit disaggregated RAN with split option 2
This higher layer split is also included in the SCF and O-RAN specifications, where both
a high layer and low layer split are used, as shown in following sections.
This solution has had traction in some 5G deployments as it has the benefit of low
throughput and delay-tolerant fronthaul for the 3GPP F1 interface. This means that
existing Ethernet and other legacy transport schemes can be used. Additionally, this
architecture has the advantage that no additional transport level securitization is
required over the fronthaul (due to PDCP encryption in gNB-CU). The gNB-DUs are,
however, more complex in their functionality compared to other remote units, and
there are limited co-ordination benefits compared to lower layer splits.
3.2.2 O-RAN Split Option-7.2x Solutions
O-RAN has defined a two or three-product solution, with lower layer split option-7.2x
and upper layer split option-2. The 7.2x split is defined by the O-RAN open fronthaul
interface [9] between the O-DU and O-RU, which uses the eCPRI protocol specification
[10].
• O-CU: The central unit includes the SDAP, PDCP and RRC protocols.
• O-DU: The distribution unit includes the RLC, MAC and high-PHY protocols.
The SCF FAPI PHY API should be used to interface the software stack to the
PHY hardware, which comes from different vendors [SCF222].
• O-RU: The radio unit includes the low-PHY(FFT/iFFT), baseband and RF
processing.
Figure 3-5 Three-unit disaggregated RAN with O-RAN split option 2/7.x
For the O-RAN two-product solution the O-DU and O-CU are logical functions within
the same product hardware unit.
Figure 3-6 Two-unit disaggregated RAN with O-RAN split option 7.2x
The architecture may include a split 7.2 fronthaul gateway unit between the O-DU and
multiple O-RUs.
The tighter fronthaul latency and bandwidth specifications which come with lower layer
splits have potential advantages in terms of co-ordination and higher performance.

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3.2.3 SCF Split Option-6 Solutions
In addition to the SCF FAPI interfaces [SCF222], [SCF223] [11], [SCF224] [12] which
provide architecture agnostic APIs between the RF or PHY and higher layer software,
the Small Cell Forum is defining the 5G nFAPI message open RAN interface [SCF225]
between the S-DU and S-RU(s) over the low layer split 6 fronthaul.
A three-product solution uses a lower layer split 6 together with the 3GPP F1 upper
layer split 2.
• S-CU: The central unit includes the SDAP, PDCP and RRC protocols.
• S-DU: The distributed unit includes RLC and MAC.
• S-RU: The radio unit includes the PHY, baseband and RF processing.
Figure 3-7 Three-unit disaggregated RAN with SCF split options 2/6
A two-product solution just uses the lower layer split 6 over the nFAPI interface,
combining the higher layer S-CU/S-DU logical functions into a single unit.
Figure 3-8 Two-unit disaggregated RAN with SCF split option 6
A detailed study by the Small Cell Forum into split 6 benefits is underway, which is
expected to be concluded in Q3 2020. Initial results suggest that Split 6 solutions are
attractive for various enterprise deployment scenarios.
3.2.4 Proprietary Split Option-8 Solutions
The lowest lower layer split used in the industry is implemented for LTE, and in some
early 5G deployments, particularly by MNOs in China where there is ideal fronthaul
fiber availability. The fronthaul interface uses a proprietary CPRI specification [13].
A three-product solution uses a lower layer split 8 together with the 3GPP F1 upper
layer split 2.
• CU: The central unit includes the SDAP, PDCP and RRC protocols.
• BBU: The distributed unit includes the RLC, MAC and PHY protocols. The SCF
FAPI PHY API should be used to interface the software stack to the PHY
hardware, which comes from different vendors [SCF222].
• RRH: The remote radio head only includes the RF processing.
Figure 3-9 Three-unit disaggregated RAN with split option 2/8

Version: 238.10.01 11
A two-product solution just uses the lower layer split 8 over a proprietary CPRI
interface, combining the PHY with the stack into a single unit.
Figure 3-10 Two-unit disaggregated RAN with split option 8
A split 8 CPRI fronthaul gateway or hub may be used to connect the multiple RRH to
BBU. There is also an option for a split 8 RRU connecting to a split 7.2 O-DU with the
fronthaul gateway providing the fronthaul conversion from split 8 CPRI interface to
open fronthaul split 7.2 eCPRI.
The advantage of split 8 is the very low cost RRH unit. However, the lack of
standardization is the biggest drawback of split 8. Furthermore, mmW (FR2) and high
performance FR1 5GNR deployments demand a high throughput fronthaul
specification.
3.2.5 Survey Results on Split Option Solutions
This section presents the survey results for the network architectures and split options
indicated for the different deployment scenarios. As discussed, network architecture is
dependent on deployment scenarios, and is the subject of a parallel SCF study.
The trend for adoption of disaggregated networks is shown in Figure 3-11. In this
table, 65% of initial 5G small cell networks plan to use single split architectures, and
dual split architecture adoption increases from 18% networks in the near term to 54%
in the mid-term. This may be part of the operator’s upgrade strategy.
Disaggregation Trend
100%
90% 18%
80%
46%
70%
60%
50% 65%
40%
30%
54%
20%
10% 18%
0%
2020-21 2022-25
Dual split Single Split Integrated
Figure 3-11 Disaggregation network adoption

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Figure 3–12 shows the chosen architectures for small cell networks to be deployed for
different deployment scenarios.
Figure 3–12 Chosen architecture for small networks to be deployed
Other than the clear trend for split 6 in indoor enterprise, the small sample size per
category makes interpretation difficult.
Relative volumes of small cell product types can be estimated from survey data – as
shown in Figure 3-13; split 6 S-RU and split 7.2 O-RU products dominate.
Figure 3-13 Relative volumes of small cell products
Focusing on network percentage of split 6 S-RU and 7.2 O-RU relative to deployment
sizes, Figure 3-14 shows a pattern is emerging.

Version: 238.10.01 13
Figure 3-14 Networks for a given scenario using split 6 or 7 small cell radio units
Based on analysis of survey responses, some key observations and conclusions are:
• Split 6 tends to be more popular in the indoor enterprise and private

networks.
• Split 7.x tends to be more popular in outdoor urban and rural small cell
networks.
• Integrated small cell is the only architecture under consideration for
residential.
• Split 2 is potentially underrepresented in the survey. It is known to be
popular in North America for both indoor and outdoor, including private and
hotspot deployments. However, dual split deployments are popular –
particularly in wave 2 which includes split 2.
• Split 8 is underrepresented as there were no China MNO respondents.
However, it is known that split 8 is popular in China for indoor enterprise.
Sections 4 and 5 of this report go into more details of small cell product
configurations. An SCF paper considering the split option survey results in more detail
will be published later in 2020.

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4. Small Cell Power Considerations
4.1 Overview of Factors which Drive Power
The RF power output of all radio transmitters – small cells included – must be carefully
characterized and controlled to ensure high standards of both safety and performance.
Power is measured in several different ways; it is important to understand when each
is relevant and in which case. Figure 4-1 identifies several considerations which
combine to determine power levels for small cells.
Figure 4-1 Overview of considerations which determine RF power specifications of small

cells
4.2 Exposure Safety Limits
Safe exposure limits (as shown on the left of Figure 4-1) are set by health experts
such as the International Commission on Non -Ionizing Radiation Protection
(ICNIRP) [14] and endorsed by government authorities such as the FCC or the
European Commission. Figure 4-2 shows a global picture of which limits are adopted
in different countries. Anyone who deploys radio transmitting equipment is legally
bound to comply with such limits.

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Figure 4-2 RF exposure limits applicable to mobile networks adopted by different regions
[GSMA] 15
4.3 ‘Installation’ – the Proximity of Base Stations to People
The highest exposure that a radio transmitter can cause is determined by the
maximum radiated power and the minimum loss between transmitter and passing
people. The consideration of these factors is called the ‘installation’. For high-power
transmitters like TV broadcast and macro towers, skilled RF design and measurements
are needed to ensure safety. Consumer electronics – like Wi-Fi routers – must be
designed to be ‘touch safe’ in all possible use cases. Small cell products touch on both
considerations, although there is also a ‘middle ground’, where light regulation of low-
skilled deployment may be reasonable. Installation classes define a set of acceptable
transmitter-mounting locations and permissible radiated powers (EIRPs) which have
been calculated to comfortably ensure compliance with exposure limits. Figure 4-3
shows installation rules adopted by the European Commission [16], which ensure
compliance with ICNIRP [17] exposure limits.
Another characteristic of the installation is the minimum coupling loss (MCL) between
the base station and the user equipment (UE). Where the loss is small, power must
also be limited in order to avoid overloading the UE’s radios. This is described in the
section on 3GPP BS classes (below).
4.4 Light Deployment Regimes with Permit Exemption
Alongside installation classes, national governments have also defined installation

scenarios which are eligible for permit exemption or development rights. Until
recently, however, different rules applied in different countries, all based on different
power levels and distance measurements, as described in [SCF182] [18]. The lack of
harmonization makes it deployment difficult; it also drives fragmentation of the
equipment market. Recognizing the importance of small cells to 5G, federal policy
makers are harmonizing permit exemption schemes, including the European

Version: 238.10.01 16
commission’s Small Area Wireless Access Point (SAWAP) scheme and the FCC’s small
wireless facility deployment rulings.
Figure 4-3 Installation rules developed by IEC and adopted by the SCF, ITU 19 and European
Union which ensure compliance with ICNIRP exposure limits. [SCF012] 20
4.5 Network Performance – 3GPP BS Classes
Another area of power-related specification comes from 3GPP, although it is important

to point out that this has different objectives to those implied by safety rules, and
impacts the small cell specification and different product design parameters. 3GPP’s
objective is to specify a functional network that performs to a high standard, and 3GPP
[TS38.104] defines requirements for the base station’s radio performance. An
important metric arising from the installation is the minimum coupling loss (MCL) -
that occurs between the base station (BS) and any UE (user equipment). Where this
loss is low, BS power is limited to avoid overloading UE radios. 3GPP use MCL to
determine BS classes, which in turn determine rated output power limits. Thus it is the
MCL, not the power, that determines the base station class.
The limited power of the classes applicable to small cells permits certain relaxations on
other transmit quality specifications such as frequency stability and relative spurious
emissions. This in turn means lower cost components such as filters, power amplifiers
and oscillators can be used.
The rated output power specified in 3GPP specifications is different to the EIRP
specified in the installation classes. EIRP represents the total power radiated out of the
antenna directed towards a person across all spectrum on which transmission is taking

Version: 238.10.01 17
place. 3GPP-rated power is specified per carrier and antenna connector. So it may be
possible to design a small cell product compliant with 3GPP local area BS performance
specifications, but which is not eligible for permit exemptions from small cell
deployment schemes (as shown in Figure 5 later in this report).
Note that for 5GNR, 3GPP [TS38.104] has introduced the concept of over-the-air
(OTA) RF performance characterization in addition to the legacy ‘conducted’ method.
The OTA method considers radiated power, and reverse engineers that back to the
rated power per antenna connector. OTA is applicable where antenna arrays are
physically integrated with the transceivers and no antenna connector is accessible.
This is typical of the active antennas commonly used for FR2. In the case of OTA-
based characterization, 3GPP uses horizontal separation between BS and UE, rather
than MCL, to determine the BS class.
Figure 4-4 cites key specifications relating to small cell power from 3GPP [TS38.104].
The MCL and rated power per carrier per antenna connector and are applicable to
conducted power measurements more common for FR1. Over the air (OTA)
characterization needed for active antennas with beamforming more common in FR2
are not illustrated here. The table also provides three worked examples of TRXU and
antenna systems. These examples are relevant to 5G FR1 small cell deployments as
shown by survey data in section 5.
Example antenna configurations

Power per 2 TRXUs driving one 4 TRXUs driving two 8 TRXUs driving four
Installation
TRXU 0dBi dual pol antenna 0dBi dual pol antennas 0dBi dual pol antennas
min
3GPP MCL Prated,c,AC TRP Total EIRP TRP Total EIRP TRP Total EIRP
distance
BS Class dB meters dBm W dBm W dBm W dBm W dBm W dBm W dBm W
Local 45 2 24 0.25 27 0.5 27 0.5 30 1 33 2 33 2 39 8
Medium 53 5 38 6.31 41 12.6 41 12.6 44 25.2 47 50.5 47 50.5 53 202
38.104 sec 4.4 4.4 6.2.1
Table 4-1 Key parameters from 3GPP local area and medium area BS class [38.104], and
worked examples of different RF and antenna configurations
Definitions:
• MCL – Minimum BS-UE coupling loss. This defines BS class, which in turn
defines maximum output power and transmitter quality requirements.
• TRXU – Transceiver unit.
• Prated, c, AC – Rated power per carrier per antenna connector. This is
assumed to be the output power of the TRXU. Specified as part of the 3GPP
BS class [TS38.104].
• TRP – Total radiated power. The sum of all TRXU powers, assuming a passive
and lossless feed network. Not valid for active antennas common in FR2
products.
• Total EIRP – For exposure evaluation purposes, total EIRP is the power sum
over both polarizations, in accordance with FCC guidelines where the two
signals may be correlated and in phase.
Figure 4-4 illustrates four TRXUs feeding two dual polar antennas, and the resulting
EIRP when accounting for array power gain of two elements (22 = 4).

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Figure 4-4 Example 5G FR1 small cell transceiver and antenna configuration, with EIRP
4.6 Summary of Design Considerations for Small Cell RF Power
Figure 4-5 summarizes the key design considerations on axes for 3GPP BS class and
installation class, which can be linked by the transceiver and antenna configuration as
shown. The figure also indicates that the E10 installation class has been included in EC
adopted implementation regulation for the Small Area Wireless Access Point light
deployment regime [21]. At the time of writing the EC required a minimum 4m
mounting height to qualify for permit exemption, rather than the 2.2m specified to
meet exposure limits. Installation rules are being revised in the light of active
antennas and SCF has requested the EC review the regulation once the revisions
become available.
Figure 4-5 Small cell power design envelopes
This view helps the designer optimize the FR1 product to fit the scenario, as illustrated
in the following interpretations:
• 4 x 250 mW TRXUs driving two dual-pol antennas is a good choice for indoor.
It meets the E2 EIRP limit, so can be deployed anywhere, much like a Wi-Fi
AP. 3GPP local area BS class means cheaper components for a low-cost
product.

Version: 238.10.01 19
• 8 x 250 mW TRXUs driving four dual-pol antennas meets E10 class and could
possibly be a high-capacity ceiling mount small cell.
Deployer survey results presented in section 5 reveal the relative popularity of

different power levels, transceiver and antenna configurations. Note that total radiated
power (TRP) is often cited; this cannot be directly compared to BS class or installation
class.

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5. 5G-Small Cell Product Definitions
This section provides a set of baseline small cell product configurations to inform
hardware component design and reference architectures. The configurations are based
on an SCF consensus. This set of configurations will help drive increased ecosystem
diversity and lower-cost small cell solutions as demanded by the industry. The product
definition is not intended to be prescriptive and recognizes product differentiation
between vendors and varying operator requirements. The definition also references
key Small Cell Forum specifications along with key specifications by relevant external
groups.
These 5G-SC product definitions are a result of an industry-wide survey, cited earlier
in sections 2 and 3.
This section identifies the most significant types of 5G small cell products, based on
the most common deployment scenarios and architecture, and summarizes their key
hardware characteristics. It also aims to provide a roadmap in terms of some
capabilities.
5G Use Cases
5G Deployment
Scenarios
Components
Networks
Hardware Reference
Reference
Reference 5G SC informs Reference
Component Product
Product
informs Product Architectures
Design Configuration(s)
Configuration(s)
Configuration(s) informs
Software Capacity
and IP Planning
Design/roadmap 5G Standards,
Interfaces Fronthaul
System Design requirements
As this section is focused more on physical hardware configurations it focuses only on

the integrated small cell, the radio unit (RU) and the distributed unit (DU) and not on
the centralized unit (CU), which may be located in a data center or in the cloud, along
with other virtual network functions. RU and DU and fronthaul interfaces are more
hardware-specific to achieve the performance requirements required by 5GNR
standards.

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5.1 Integrated Small Cell Configurations (Survey Results)
This section addresses the configurations for an integrated small cell gNB based on
survey data. The table below gives the sample sizes involved in the survey.
Indoor Indoor Private Campus Dense Rural Total

residential enterprise industrial urban public
2 5 3 0 1 0 11
Key:
• res – indoor residential

• ent – indoor enterprise
• priv – private/industrial
• urb – dense urban
bold indicates a larger sample size than other options
The table below gives the configuration parameters from the survey:
Feature/product Integrated small cell gNodeB

Physical
-Max size/volume (ave) 4L (res),10L (ent/priv), 12L (urb)
-Max weight (ave) 2kg (res), 5-6kg (ent/priv), 8kg (urb)
-Mounting Wall/ceiling/pole (res/urb)
Wall/ceiling (ent, priv)
-Antenna Integrated (res/ent)
External (urb/priv)
-Network connection Ethernet (res/ent/priv)
Fiber (ent/urb/priv)
-Physical power connection PoE (res/ent/priv)
PoF (res/ent/urb)
Powerline (priv)
-Environmental conditions Passive-cooled
Power
-Power consumption See above for power connection and
environmental considerations
RF parameters
-Spectrum Shared or dedicated
-Multi-carrier: Single carrier (res)
CA (intra or inter-band) CA/LTE and 5G/dual 5G (ent/priv/urb)
Dual mode LTE and 5G
Dual mode 5G and 5G
-3GPP base station class (local or LABS (res/ent)
medium area) MABS (ent/private)
-Spectrum (sub 6 FR1, mmW FR2) Regional/carrier dependent
FR1 (res/ent/priv)
FR2 – no FR2 networks planned to 2025
-Top frequency bands 3.4-3.8GHz (res/ent/urb/priv)
(order of priority) 3.8-4.2GHz (ent/priv)
2.5-2.6GHz (ent)
Multiband (ent/priv)
TDD/FDD TDD (10 networks)

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Feature/product Integrated small cell gNodeB
TDD/FDD (one network)
-Max bandwidth (HW/SW capability) <100MHz (res/ent)
FR1 100MHz (ent/priv)
>100MHz (urb)
-Power rating (W) <5W (res/ent/priv)
5W (ent/priv/urb)
10W (priv)
-Transmit and receive antenna 2TX2RX (res/ent)
ports/chains 4TX4RX (res/ent/priv)
8TX8RX (ent/priv/urb)
Architecture/network split
-Network split 0
-Interface standards 3GPP NG to CN
-Network synchronization GPS (res), GNSS (ent/priv) – limited indoor
performance
IEEE1588 (ent/priv)
L1-L3 Features and performance
-5GNR/LTE 3GPP release (for Rel 15 (res/ent/urb/priv)
relationship with waves see Figure Rel 16 (ent/priv)
5-6) Rel 17 (priv)
-UL and DL modulation (not in 256 QAM (DL), 64 QAM (UL)
survey)
-DL MIMO capability 2 layers (res/ent)
4 layers (ent/priv)
8 layers (ent)
-UL MIMO capability 2 layers (res)
4 layers (ent/priv)
8 layers (ent/urb)
-Plug and play configuration Customer install (res)
-Management protocol No responses
Backhaul specification
-Backhaul bandwidth (responses 10Gbps/25Gbps (all, but residential is expected
10/25Gbps combined) to be 50-100Mbps self-backhaul)
-Backhaul latency Not reliable data

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5.2 Radio Unit (RU) for Disaggregated Networks (Survey Results)
The configuration table below includes split 6 (S-RU) and 7.2 O-RU as these
resulted in significant responses. For the China market split 8 RRH parameters
may be similar for indoor enterprise deployments.
The table below gives the sample sizes involved in the survey.

Option 6 0 17 7 8 6 1 39
Option 7.x 0 5 4 7 10 4 30
Key:
• ent – indoor enterprise

• cam – campus
• rur – rural public
• priv – private/industrial
• bold indicates a larger sample size than other options
The table below gives the configuration parameters from the survey:
Split 6 S-RU Split 7.x O-RU

Feature/product
Physical
-Max size/volume (ave) 2L (ent), 5L (cam) 3L (ent/priv), 5L (cam), 7L (urb),
6L(rur), 2.5L(priv) 6L (rur)
-Max weight (ave) 2.5kg (ent)
3kg (cam/rur/priv) 3kg (ent/priv)
4kg (urb) 4kg (cam/urb/rur)
-Mounting Pole (outdoor) Pole (outdoor)
Wall/ceiling (indoor) Wall/ceiling (indoor)
-FR1 antenna External (all) External (all)
(FR2 assumed Integrated Integrated (all)
integrated) (ent/cam/urb/priv)
-Network connection Ethernet or fiber Ethernet or fiber

-Physical power PoE (ent/cam/priv) PoE (all)
connection PoF (ent/cam/urb/priv) PoF (cam/urb/priv)
Powerline (ent/urb/rur) Powerline (ent/cam/urb/rur)
-Environmental Active-Cooled (cam/urb) Active-Cooled (cam/urb/pub)
conditions Passive-cooled Passive-cooled (all)
(ent/urb/rur/priv)
Power
-Power consumption See power and environmental See power and environmental
considerations above considerations above
RF parameters
-Spectrum Shared or dedicated Shared or dedicated
-Multi-carrier: Single carrier (ent/prv) No (ent/cam)
CA (intra or inter) CA (all) CA (all)
Dual mode LTE and 5G LTE and 5G (all)

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Feature/product
Dual 5G LTE and 5G Dual 5G (ent/priv)
(ent/cam/urb/priv)
Dual 5G (ent/priv)
-3GPP base station class LABS (ent/cam/urb/priv) LABS (ent/cam/urb/priv)
(local, medium or wide MABS (ent/cam/urb/priv) MABS (all)
area) (1 rural response for WABS) (WABS 1 cam/1 urb/2 priv)
-Spectrum (sub 6 FR1, Sub 6 FR1 (all) Sub 6 FR1 (all)
mmW FR2) mmW FR2 (all except rur) mmW FR2 (cam/urb/priv)
FR1 RU specific 29 FR1 S-RU responses 19 FR1 O-RU responses
parameters
-Top frequency bands Multiband (ent/cam/urb) Multiband (all)
FR2 3.4-3.8GHz (all except rur) 3.4-3.8GHz (all)
(order of priority) 3.8-4.2GHz (ent/cam/priv) 3.8-4.2GHz (cam/urb/priv)
2.5-2.6GHz (ent) 2.5-2.6GHz (ent/urb)
1.8GHz (rur) 1.8GHz (rur)
TDD/FDD TDD (all except rur) TDD (all)
TDD/FDD (all) TDD/FDD (all but priv)
-Maximum FR1 <100MHz (ent/cam) <100MHz (ent/cam/priv)
bandwidth (HW/SW 100MHz (ent/cam/urb/priv) 100MHz (all)
capability) >100MHz (all) >100MHz (cam/urb/rur)
-Rated output power (W) <5W (ent/cam) <5W (ent/cam/priv)
FR1 5W (ent/cam/urb/priv) 5W (ent/cam/urb/priv)
10W (cam/urb/rur) 10W (cam/urb/rur/priv)
>10W (urb) >10W (urb/rur)
-Transmit and receive 2TX2RX (ent/priv) 2TX2RX (ent)
antenna ports/chains 4TX4RX (ent/cam/urb/priv) 4TX4RX (all)
FR1 8TX8RX (all)
16TX16RX (cam/urb) 8TX8RX (all)
16TX16RX (cam/urb)
FR2 RU specific 10 FR2 O-RU responses 11 FR2 O-RU responses
parameters
-Top frequency bands 26GHz (ent/urb/priv) 26GHz (cam/urb/priv)
FR2 28GHz (ent/cam/priv) 28GHz (cam/urb/priv)
(order of priority) 39GHz (ent/priv) 39GHz (urb)
Multiband (ent)
-Maximum FR2 <400MHz (ent) <400MHz (cam)
bandwidth (HW/SW 400MHz (ent/cam/priv) 400MHz (cam/urb/priv)
capability) >400MHz (cam/urb) >400MHz (urb/priv)
-Max total transmit 40-45dBm (ent/priv) 40-45dBm (priv)
power radiated EIRP 46-50dBm 46-50dBm (cam/urb)
dBm FR2 (ent/cam/urb/priv) 51-60dBm (urb/priv)
No responses >50dBm
-Number of antenna <32 (ent) <32 (priv)
array elements 32 (ent/cam/priv) 32 (cam/urb)
No responses >32 64 (cam/urb)
Architecture/network
split:
-Network split 6 7.2
-Fronthaul interfaces nFAPI but responses also O-RAN open fronthaul eCPRI
nFAPI or eCPRI or CPRI) included eCPRI/CPRI either
due to flexible interfaces or

Version: 238.10.01 25
Feature/product
confusion about split 6
fronthaul
-Network GPS (ent/cam/priv) GPS (ent/cam/rur)
synchronization GNSS (ent/cam/urb/priv) GNSS (cam/urb/rur)
IEEE1588 (all) IEEE1588 (all)
L1-L3 Features and
performance
-5GNR 3GPP Rel 15 (all) Rel 15 (all)
capability/release (for Rel 16 (ent/cam/urb/priv) Rel 16 (ent/cam/urb/priv)
relationship with waves Rel 17 (ent/cam/priv) Rel 17 (ent/cam/priv)
see Figure 5-6)
-UL and DL modulation 256 (FR1) or 64 (FR2) QAM 256 (FR1) or 64 (FR2) QAM (DL),
(not in survey, SCF (DL), 64 QAM (UL) 64 QAM (UL)
analysis)
-UL/DL MIMO capability 2 layers (ent/cam/urb/priv) 2 layers (ent/cam/urb/priv)
4 layers (all)
8 layers (ent/cam/urb/priv) 4 layers (all)
8 layers (ent/cam/urb/priv)
-Network management Netcong/Yang O-RAN Netcong/Yang
(no survey responses)
Fronthaul
specification
-Fronthaul bandwidth 10Gbps/25Gbps (all) 10Gbps/25Gbps (all)
(responses 10/25Gbps
combined
-Fronthaul latency Not reliable data Not reliable data

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5.3 Distributed Unit (DU) for Disaggregated Networks (Survey Results)
The configuration table below includes combined split 6 distributed unit (S-DU) and 7.2
distributed unit O-DU results. For the China market split 8 BBU parameters may be
similar for indoor enterprise deployments, but there was no survey data to report. Some
parameters are only applicable to the upper PHY for split 7.2 (O-DU).
The table below gives the sample sizes involved in the survey.

0 3 0 3 4 1 11
Key:
• ent – Indoor enterprise

• cam - campus
• rur – rural public
• bold larger sample size than other options
The table below gives the configuration parameters for the combined distributed unit
from the survey.
Feature Distributed unit (O-DU/S-DU)

Physical
-Form factor/mounting 19-inch rack (all), other/unsure (cam/urb)
-Network connection Ethernet (all), Fiber (ent)
-Environmental conditions Passive-cooled (cam/urb),
Active-cooled (all)
Power
-Power supply and consumption Capacity-dependent
Fronthaul specification (to RU)
-Fronthaul specification Split 6 nFAPI (ent/cam)
Split 7.2 O-RAN eCPRI (all)
-Fronthaul spec 10Gbps/25Gbps Eth (ent/cam)
Fiber (all)
-Fronthaul latency (ave) Not reliable data
Backhaul specification (to CU)
-Backhaul specification Split 2 3GPP F1
-Backhaul spec (responses 25/50/100Gb 25/50/100Gb Ethernet (all)
combined) Fiber (ent/cam/urb/rur)
-Backhaul latency Not reliable data
L1, L2, L3 Features and performance
-Multi-carrier: Yes, flexible depending on RU
CA (intra or inter) CA (ent)
Dual mode LTE and 5G LTE/5G (all)
Dual 5G 5G/5G (cam/urb)
-3GPP base station class (local, medium or LABS (ent/urb)
wide area) MABS (ent/cam/urb)
1 campus and rural response for WABS)
-5GNR 3GPP capability/release Rel 15 (all)

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Feature Distributed unit (O-DU/S-DU)
Rel 16 (ent/cam/urb)
Rel 17 (cam)
-TDD/FDD FR1 TDD (all except rur)
TDD/FDD (all)
-Maximum FR1 Bandwidth (HW/SW <100MHz (ent/cam)
capability) 100MHz (all)
>100MHz (cam/urb)
-DL MIMO capability FR1 4 layer (ent/camp/urb)
8 layer (all)
-UL MIMO capability FR2 4 layer (ent/urb)
8 layer (all)
-Capacity
-Number of RUs supported (ave) 4 (ent), 5 (cam), 6 (urb), 5 (rur)
-Aggregated BW 70GHz (ent), 125GHz (cam/rur), 150GHz (urb)
-Network management Netconf/Yang (partial responses)
5.4 Analysis and Discussion of Configuration Results
Aside from interfacing and management specifications, which are architecture-

dependent, there is some commonality among small cell products and some variation
(depending on the deployment scenario). Hence the following graphs aggregate
products and look at configuration parameter trends relative to deployment scenarios.
Focusing on FR1, where sample sizes are more significant, Figure 5-1 shows the
number of TRXUs or RF chains for the different deployment scenarios. As expected,
the minimum 2TX2RX configuration is important in low-cost indoor residential,
whereas when moving to enterprise, private and campus networks 4TX4RX dominates.
8TX8RX becomes more dominant in outdoor urban and rural networks.
FR1 TX/RX chains per deployment scenario (all

products)
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2TX2RX 4TX4RX 8TX8RX 16TX16RX
Figure 5-1 FR1 TX/RX chains per deployment scenario (all products)
Similarly, in Figure 5-2 you can see that the rated output power is lower in the lower
range, indoor deployments. For residential LABS class small cell with two transmitter

Version: 238.10.01 28
ports, the maximum average (rms) power is significantly lower at 500mW
(2x250mW). 5W and 10W rated maximum rms power is more significant in outdoor
MAB class small cell with four transmitter ports, for example. Rural public starts to
move to macrocell when WABS class, higher transmitter count and higher powers are
involved.
FR1 rated output power per deployment scenario

(all products)
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
<5W 5W 10W >10W
Figure 5-2 FR1 rated output power per deployment scenario (all products)
Figure 5-3 shows the required hardware bandwidth support for small cells by
deployment type. In residential and some other scenarios less than 100MHz
bandwidth is needed due to spectrum allocation. 100MHz dominates, but, in some
scenarios, operators require the hardware to support greater than 100MHz when
multi-carrier support is needed.
FR1 bandwidth per deployment scenario (all

products)
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
<100 MHz 100 MHz >100 MHz
Figure 5-3 FR1 bandwidth per deployment scenario (all products)
Small cell complexity is also determined by features such as multi-carrier support,

which is regional-dependent due to spectrum allocation as well as deployment

Version: 238.10.01 29
scenario-dependent. Figure 5-4 shows that residential requires just single carrier
support as well as being lower power and having fewer transmitter ports. The other
deployments require additional multi-carrier support; this in turn requires additional
chipset support within the design.
Multi-carrier support per deployment scenario (all

products)
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Single carrier CA Dual LTE/5G Dual 5G/5G
Figure 5-4 Multi-carrier support per deployment scenario (all products)
Figure 5-5 gives planned frequency bands which shows the popularity of multi-band
and 3.5GHz bands such as n78. Re-farming of 1.8GHz band for rural helps for
coverage. Demand is also expected at 4.4-5GHz in some regions such as China and
Japan.
FR1 frequency bands per deployment scenario (all

products)
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Residential Indoor enterprise Private industrial

Campus Dense urban Rural public
Figure 5-5 FR1 frequency bands per deployment scenario (all products)
The survey configuration data was also analyzed by products and waves. Figure 5-6
shows the correlation between deployment waves and 3GPP release, with release 16
and 17 becoming more important in wave 2.

Version: 238.10.01 30
3GPP release by product and wave
25
20
15
10
0
gNB S-RU O-RU S-RU O-RU
Wave 1 Wave 2
3GPP release R15 3GPP release R16 3GPP release R17
Figure 5-6 3GPP release by product and wave
Figure 5-7 shows the trend of TX/RX chain count trends by product and also wave,
and indicates a potential trend for higher counts in wave 2.
FR1 TX/RX chains by product and wave

14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
gNB S-RU O-RU S-RU O-RU
Wave 1 Wave 2
2T2R 4T4R 8T8R 16T16R
Figure 5-7 FR1 TX/RX chains by product and wave
Additional findings are as follows:
• As discussed in section 1, LABS and MABS base station class small cells
dominate.
• Remote integrated and RU small cell products are limited by power
consumption, environmental conditions, maximum output power and volume:
• gNodeB and RUs generally are passive-cooled, and powered by Ethernet

(PoE), fiber (PoF) or powerline.
• DL and UL MIMO capability

Version: 238.10.01 31
• 2 and 4-layer MIMO most popular in smaller deployments.
• 8-layer MIMO is required in some larger enterprise campus, urban and
private deployments, and potentially longer term.
• TDD with FDD support is generally required, but this is band-specific

• FR1 products dominate with FR2 split 7.2 O-RU support are planned for
outdoor campus, urban and private networks, and FR2 split 6 S-RU planned
for indoor enterprise.
• 10G/25G Ethernet (over copper or fiber) is needed for fronthaul
• Network synchronization is provided by IEEE1588 and GPS/GNSS.

Version: 238.10.01 32
6. Conclusions
The way that cellular networks are used is diversifying rapidly, so that a wide range of
small cell designs will be required to address the different requirements of enterprises
or residential networks; rural or urban users; private or public systems; indoor or
outdoor networks; fast broadband or low latency connectivity priorities.
This study provides a uniquely detailed analysis of the capabilities that small cells will
need to support in any combination of architecture and deployment environment. It
makes it clear that in the 5G era, no single design or specification can meet every
requirement across all the scenarios.
Instead, it will be important to optimize small cell designs and specifications for each
environment, to encourage adoption and drive new usage, especially in the enterprise,
industrial and campus settings where many new use cases for dense cellular
connectivity are emerging.
Some key conclusions are:
• Split 6 and 7.x are the most popular among those currently planning
disaggregated small cell deployments, as well as dual-split architectures including
Split 2. Split 8 is also known to be popular in China for indoor enterprise
deployments though it was not represented in the survey.
• Remote integrated and RU small cell products are limited by power consumption,
environmental conditions, maximum output power and volume. gNodeB and RUs
generally are passive-cooled, and powered by Ethernet (PoE), fiber (PoF) or
powerline.
• 2 and 4-layer MIMO is most popular in smaller deployments although 8-layer
MIMO is required in some larger enterprise campus, urban and private
deployments, and potentially longer term.
• FR1 products dominate with FR2 split 7.2 O-RU support are planned for outdoor
campus, urban and private networks, and FR2 split 6 S-RU planned for indoor
enterprise.
This small sample of the full specifications analyzed highlights that, by understanding
the key operator requirements which are distilled in the report, the supply chain can
design a diversity of small cells with confidence that they will align with real world
needs. And by innovating within a common framework of technical design assumptions
and agreed interfaces, they can avoid fragmentation and benefit from economies of
scale.
The baseline small cell product configurations which are detailed in the report are
essential to inform hardware component design and reference architectures, and
crucially, they are based on an SCF consensus which, in turn, represents inputs from a
wide range of operators, vendors, component makers and other stakeholders.
This set of configurations is not prescriptive, and it takes account of work done by
other organizations such as 3GPP and O-RAN Alliance as well as SCF itself. In this
way, the report will help drive increased ecosystem diversity and lower-cost small cell
solutions as demanded by the industry and, most importantly, its customers.

Version: 238.10.01 33
References
1 3GPP TS 38.801 section 11 Study on new radio access technology: Radio access
architecture and interfaces (Release 14)
2 3GPP TS38.300 NR; NR and NG-RAN overall description; Stage 2 (Release 15).
3 SCF197 mmw 5G-eMBB use cases and small cell-based hyperdense networks
4 SCF198 5G-era IoT use cases and enterprise small cell networks
5 SCF199 URLLC and network slicing in 5G enterprise small cell networks
6 3GPP TS38.104 Base Station (BS) radio transmission and reception
7 SCF235 Private Cellular Networks with small cells
8 SCF222 5G FAPI: PHY API specification
9 O-RAN Fronthaul Working Group Control, User and Synchronization Plane
Specification
10 eCPRI specification http://www.cpri.info/
11 SCF223 5G FAPI: RF and Digital Frontend Control API
12 SCF224 5G FAPI: Network Monitor Mode API
13 CPRI specification CPRI Specification http://www.cpri.info/
14 International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP)
15 EMF Policy, GSMA, https://www.gsma.com/publicpolicy/consumer-affairs/emf-
and-health/emf-policy
16 COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2020, 30 June 2020 on
specifying the characteristics of small-area wireless access points
17 International commission for non-ionizing radiation protection,
https://www.icnirp.org/
18 SCF182 Simplifying small cell installation: Harmonized principles for RF
compliance
19 ITU-T Transport network support of IMT-2020/5G
20 SCF012 Simplified Installation Rules
21 https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/commission-adopts-
implementing-regulation-pave-way-high-capacity-5g-network-infrastructure

Version: 238.10.01 34

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We have driven the standardization of key elements of small cell technology

Today our members are driving solutions that include:

No license, express or implied, to any intellectual property rights is granted or

©2007-2020 All rights reserved in respect of articles, drawings, photographs

Post Small Cell Forum, PO Box 23, GL11 5WA UK

Member Services memberservices@smallcellforum.org

Report title: SCF238 5G Small cell architecture and product definitions

The key outputs from this report include:

• Definition of a 5G small cell network

This paper is aimed at the following target audience:

Report title: SCF238 5G Small cell architecture and product definitions

Report title: SCF238 5G Small cell architecture and product definitions

Report title: SCF238 5G Small cell architecture and product definitions

Diversification of the small cell architecture

• Cellular technology is moving beyond generic mobile broadband services and

• The virtualization of the mobile networks is driving adoption of

Report title: SCF238 5G Small cell architecture and product definitions

Common interfaces and design frameworks are key for

Report title: SCF238 5G Small cell architecture and product definitions

Report title: SCF238 5G Small cell architecture and product definitions

Report title: SCF238 5G Small cell architecture and product definitions

Figure 1-1 3GPP 5G NR Overall Architecture [TS 38.300] (Source 3GPP) 2

Report title: SCF238 5G Small cell architecture and product definitions

Figure 1-3 Small cell network with disaggregated small cells

Disaggregated architectures are being standardized by three industry organizations:

Report title: SCF238 5G Small cell architecture and product definitions

• Small cells support a variety of frequency bands as defined by 3GPP

• Depending on deployment, these may be either licensed (for example to

• Beamforming and hybrid beamforming are relevant particularly to FR2

Report title: SCF238 5G Small cell architecture and product definitions

• Residential (or SOHO): Indoor deployment

Figure 2-1 5G Small Cell Deployment Scenarios

Table 2-1 provides the key characteristics of these deployment scenarios:

Deployment scenario Key characteristics

Indoor residential (or SOHO) Single small cell

Report title: SCF238 5G Small cell architecture and product definitions

Private Industrial: Indoor/outdoor High capacity (eMBB and mMTC)

Report title: SCF238 5G Small cell architecture and product definitions

A supporting survey of 62 respondents providing planned 5G deployment of small cells

Survey respondents were made up of:

Distribution of the 86 networks Surveyed

Figure 2-2 Distribution of responding organizations

Report title: SCF238 5G Small cell architecture and product definitions

Planned number of small cells deployed per scenario

<100 101-250 251-500 501-1000 1,001-2,000 >2000

Figure 2-4 Planned number of small cells deployed per scenario

Report title: SCF238 5G Small cell architecture and product definitions

For 5G NR small cell RAN architectures include:

• Integrated small cells with collapsed gNB/RAN functionality.

3.1 Integrated (All-In-One) Small Cells

PDCP RLC 5G-FAPI

Figure 3-2 Integrated small cell architecture

Report title: SCF238 5G Small cell architecture and product definitions

3.2 Disaggregated Small Cell Networks

The CU may be a shared virtual entity running on virtualized infrastructure in data

Figure 3-3 Split options for disaggregated RAN

3.2.1 3GPP Split Option-2 Solution

• CU: The gNB-CU includes SDAP, PDCP and RRC protocols.

Report title: SCF238 5G Small cell architecture and product definitions

3.2.2 O-RAN Split Option-7.2x Solutions

Report title: SCF238 5G Small cell architecture and product definitions

Figure 3-8 Two-unit disaggregated RAN with SCF split option 6