Introducing ReCPRI: A Field Re-configurable Protocol for Backhaul Communication in a Radio Access Network

We present the Re-configurable Ethernet Common Public Radio Interface (ReCPRI) protocol as a replacement of the existing Ethernet Common Public Radio Interface (eCPRI) standard. Using the same communication infrastructure, this protocol is shown to provide the same functionality as eCPRI, maintaining full backward compatibility, all while reducing the required data bit rate and increasing the ADC sample rate by 4.4x. This is achieved using hardware-based data pre-processing at the radio tower. This protocol also makes the backhaul network SDN compatible. ReCPRI is capable of modifying the data bit rate dynamically as usage changes, modifying the hardware infrastructure in real time, migrating towers dynamically between Base Band Units, dynamically adding new functionality, and modifying the baseline infrastructure. This is all accomplished in real time, without interrupting service, and all from the Base Band Unit’s software layer.