2019 saw mobile operators across multiple continents launch 5G networks giving customers a glimpse of new experiences. In 2020, those service providers are scaling out 5G deployments and addressing challenges on the cost side as those networks scale.
To understand how packetizing fronthaul might play a role in this effort, it is instructive to understand the current 4G model. Most cellular networks today use a transport architecture know as distributed RAN (D-RAN). There are typically a dozen or more radios on top of a cell tower, connected to baseband units at the foot of the tower.
