Bluespace

Link to project website: https://bluespace-5gppp.squarespace.com

Contact: Bluespace-Contact@5g-ppp.eu

Objective

The core concept of BLUESPACE is to exploite the added value of Spatial Division Multiplexing (SDM) in the Radio Access Network (RAN) with efficient optical beamforming interface for the pragmatic Ka-band wireless transmission band. Both being seamlessly integreable in next generation optical access networks infrastructures with massive beam steering capabilities and with flexible network management  control. The main objectives targeted by the BLUESPACE project are BlueSpace are: to develope a truly viable and efficient path for  5G wireless communications with a 1000-fold increase in capacity, connectivity for over 1 billion users, strict latency control, and network software programming.

Achievements

BlueSPACE has made good progress since its launch, developing analog radio-over-fiber (ARoF) fronthaul with optical beamforming and proposing a unique fronthaul architecture based on space division multiplexing (SDM) in the optical domain with multi-core fibres (MCF). The proposed architecture allows scaling fronthaul capacity to support highly densified 5G network deployments, while also allowing for infrastructure sharing between digitized and analog fronthaul as well as other access services. blueSPACE further expands the flexibility in the access network, where the spatial and wavelength domains can be jointly used for routing, switching and allocation of resources. blueSPACE has developed a platform for software defined networking (SDN) and network function virtualization (NFV) to demonstrate these advantages.

BlueSPACE has further produced the first ARoF BBU with real-time processing for extended 5G NR signals of up to 800MHz bandwidth and demonstrated the ARoF fronthaul concept in the n258 band that is to be used for millimeter wave 5G NR in Europe. In its first demonstrations at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), blueSPACE has demonstrated ARoF as a concept and shown its feasibility – additional demonstrations until the end of the project will realize the remaining potential and combine ARoF fronthaul with optical beamforming. Together, the blueSPACE solutions make for a compelling alternative to traditional digital fronthaul and beamforming for the mm-wave, as they avoid the fronthaul capacity crunch, while maintaining maximum centralization of network equipment and complexity and thus reducing footprint and power consumption at the antenna sites.

Information on current project achievements, public deliverables and past as well as upcoming demonstrations is available on the blueSPACE website at https://www.bluespace-5gppp.eu.

Project Participants: