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 opticalwireless 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.