Power and cost modeling for 5G transport networks

Optical 5G transport networks are the subject of academic and industrial research aimed at identifying the best architectural and deployment options. In this regard, the optimization of both power consumption and equipment cost is a crucial aspect. This paper analyses a number of architectural options (i.e., all optical vs. intermediate electronic processing, with and without network caching) for optical 5G transport networks, with the objective of understanding which alternatives are the most promising in terms of total power consumption and equipment cost. The analysis presented in the paper shows that 10 Gbps transmission equipment combined with optical switching guarantees the best overall performance. On the other hand, 100 Gbps transmission equipment combined with electronic processing and network caching is also a promising approach, especially in fiber scarce scenarios.