Energy-Efficient Integrated O-RAN/PON Access Network

The adoption of Time Division Duplexing (TDD) in 5G not only facilitates efficient spectrum utilization but also paves the way for the implementation of innovative schemes that leverage the unique characteristics of the TDD patterns. For example, Cooperative Dynamic Bandwidth Allocation (CO DBA) exploits information about the TDD pattern to reduce latency in Time Division Multiplexing Passive Optical Networks (TDM-PON)-based fronthaul. In this paper, we harness the information about 5G TDD patterns alongside the programmability offered by Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) and Software Defined Optical Access Networks (SDOANs) for a different purpose: enhancing x-haul energy efficiency. The scheme we propose seeks to minimize the energy consumption of PON-based x-haul networks by dynamically adjusting the operational states of selected subsystems within the Optical Network Terminal (ONT) in coordination with the TDD patterns. Preliminary simulation results show that up to 80% energy savings can be achieved with the proposed cooperative technique.