Huawei launches X-Haul for smooth evolution from 4G to 5G networks

Huawei has officially released its 5G-oriented mobile bearer solution X-Haul. This solution has four core values – providing flexible access capabilities that can match the scenario of any site; implementing agile network operations based on a cloud architecture; enabling new service innovation through end-to-end network slicing and supporting smooth evolution from 4G bearer networks to 5G bearer networks.

To support diverse 5G access methods, the Huawei X-Haul provides an overall solution with full fronthaul and backhaul coverage, implementing flexible access in all scenarios. Flexible networking is implemented through the IP, microwave, and OTN access technologies, enabling unified fronthaul and backhaul bearing whether or not optical cables are used. For backhaul scenarios in areas that have a high population density, Huawei launched the industry's first 50GE/100GE adaptive network slicing router, which provides seamless 100GE compatibility even when providing 50GE base station access.

In addition, Huawei X-Haul introduces a cloud-based architecture that enables agile operations on 5G bearer networks. The management and control plane implements centralized orchestration through the Network Cloud Engine for various network media such as IP, optical and microwave. The device plane innovatively introduces Segment Routing, EVPN and OSP-TE protocols, simplifying bearer device control plane protocols and unifying the service model to implement the whole automated management life cycle of the bearer network. This improves the efficiency of network-wide O&M tenfold.

Huawei X-Haul uses the Flexible Ethernet (FlexE) technology to implement end-to-end network slicing and help operators accelerate new service innovation. FlexE can divide a single physical Ethernet port into multiple Ethernet flexible hard pipes based on timeslot scheduling, implementing service statistical multiplexing in the same slice while without services affecting each other in different slices. Through the Network Cloud Engine, end-to-end coordination between FlexE-based network slices and wireless and core networks is achieved, with support for the flexible slice creation, on-demand bandwidth adjustment, on-demand service-level agreement (SLA) assurance and rapid fault location for each network slice. This enables one network to serve multiple purposes, maximizing backhaul network value.

Finally, Huawei X-Haul supports future-oriented evolution through the flexible expansion and upgrade of existing networks. X-Haul introduces the innovative, highly cost-effective 50GE technology at the access layer, which reduces CAPEX by 30%, while enabling smooth future upgrade to 100GE based on FlexE. At the aggregation and core layers, which use the IP + optical two-layer architecture, the IP layer supports 200GE/400GE interfaces, and the optical layer implements one-hop transmission of wavelengths. Single-wavelength bandwidth can be expanded on demand to 200G/400G. This enables 4G-to-5G bearer network evolution, which will maximize operator investment.

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