Software Defined Multi-standard Base Stations

Baseband and RF Technologies for Software Defined Radio

Research Report

Multistandard base stations allow operators to combine multiple access technologies such as 2G, 3G, and 4G onto a single base station platform. Software Defined Radio (SDR) technology has been one of the key enablers for multistandard base stations with reconfigurable baseband and radio heads allowing for flexibility and ease of upgrade. The advantages of multistandard base stations go beyond simply upgrading a base station platform, adding OPEX efficiencies such as integrated backhaul, as well as reduced power consumption and site rental costs. There are additional performance benefits with multistandard base stations using state of the art components.

One of the key benefits of multistandard base stations is their ability to operate on multiple technologies within a given spectrum band. Refarmed spectrum is seen as an important driver for multistandard base stations as operators moving from 2G to 3G to 4G look to take advantage of unused spectrum assets. 900 MHz GSM/UMTS is the best example of where multistandard base stations have been used.

This study covers the key vendors in this marketplace, their technology portfolios, drivers and constraints, the technical advancements and challenges, and the market opportunity for multistandard base stations.

Table of Contents

  • 1. Executive Summary
    • 1.1. Multi-standard Base Stations and Software Defined Radio
    • 1.2. Why SDR in Base Stations?
    • 1.3. The ‘So What' of SDR in Base Stations
    • 1.4. The Spectrum Refarming Opportunity for Multi-standard Base Stations
    • 1.5. Market Forecasts
  • 2. Introduction
    • 2.1. Multi-standard Base Station
      • 2.1.1. Single Cabinet Platforms versus Common Hardware Platforms
    • 2.2. Software Defined Radio
      • 2.2.1. Software Controlled Radio
      • 2.2.2. Software Defined Radio
      • 2.2.3. Ideal Software Radio
      • 2.2.4. Cognitive Radio
    • 2.3. Are Multi-standard Base Stations SDR?
      • 2.3.1. Baseband
      • 2.3.2. Radio Head
    • 2.4. Multi-standard Technology Options
      • 2.4.1. Baseband Reconfigurability
      • 2.4.2. Three Approaches for Baseband Processing
      • 2.4.3. Radio Head Reconfigurability
    • 2.5. RF Components
      • 2.5.1. RF Power Amplifier Considerations
      • 2.5.2. LNA Considerations
      • 2.5.3. Digital and Interface Components
    • 2.6. Standardization of Multi-standard Radio (MSR) Base Stations
      • 2.6.1. TR 37.900
      • 2.6.2. CPRI and OBSAI
  • 3. Multimode SDR Benefits and Hurdles
    • 3.1. The SDR Value Proposition
      • 3.1.1. Software Upgradeability
      • 3.1.2. All-in-One Platform
      • 3.1.3. Old Equipment Swap
      • 3.1.4. Spectrum Refarming
      • 3.1.5. The 4G Factor
      • 3.1.6. RAN Sharing
      • 3.1.7. Economics
      • 3.1.8. Backhaul Co-Transmission
      • 3.1.9. Common OSS and Network Management
      • 3.1.10. Network Performance
    • 3.2. Hurdles
      • 3.2.1. Operator Access to Refarmed Spectrum
      • 3.2.2. SDR - Vendor Push versus Operator Pull
      • 3.2.3. Baseband Capacity Planning
      • 3.2.4. Multimode in Smaller Cell Architectures
  • 4. SDR Wireless Infrastructure Market Activity
    • 4.1. Multi-standard Base Station OEMs
      • 4.1.1. Alcatel-Lucent
      • 4.1.2. Ericsson
      • 4.1.3. Huawei
      • 4.1.4. Motorola
      • 4.1.5. NEC
      • 4.1.6. Nokia Siemens Networks
      • 4.1.7. Vanu, Inc
      • 4.1.8. ZTE
    • 4.2. Component Suppliers
      • 4.2.1. DesignArt Networks
      • 4.2.2. Freescale
      • 4.2.3. Intel
      • 4.2.4. Mindspeed Technologies
      • 4.2.5. picoChip
      • 4.2.6. Powerwave
      • 4.2.7. Texas Instruments
      • 4.2.8. Xilinx
  • 5. Multi-standard Base Station Market Forecasts
    • 5.1. Introduction to Forecast Terminology
      • 5.1.1. What Constitutes a Base Station?
    • 5.2. Methodology and Assumptions
      • 5.2.1. Shipments
      • 5.2.2. Equipment Revenue
      • 5.2.3. Spectrum Refarming
    • 5.3. Forecasts
      • 5.3.1. Global Multi-standard Base Station Shipments and Revenue
      • 5.3.2. Multi-standard versus Single Standard Base Stations
      • 5.3.3. Regional Shipments and Revenue
      • 5.3.4. Multi-standard Base Station ASP and Cost Analysis
      • 5.3.5. Multi-standard Base Stations by Spectrum
  • 6. Company Directory
  • 7. Acronyms
  • Table 5-1, Multi-standard Base Station Shipments and Revenue, World Market, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Table 5-2, Multi-standard versus Single Standard Base Station Shipments, World Market, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Table 5-3, Multi-standard Base Station Shipments by Air Interface, World Market, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Table 5-4, Multi-standard Base Station Shipments by Air Interface, North America, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Table 5-5, Multi-standard Base Station Shipments by Air Interface, Europe, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Table 5-6, Multi-standard Base Station Shipments by Air Interface, Asia-Pacific, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Table 5-7, Multi-standard Base Station Shipments by Air Interface, Latin America, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Table 5-8, Multi-standard Base Station Shipments by Air Interface, Middle East & Africa, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Table 5-9, Multi-standard versus Single Standard Base Station Revenue, World Market, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Table 5-10, Multi-standard Base Station Revenue by Air Interface, World Market, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Table 5-11, Multi-standard Base Station Revenue by Air Interface, North America, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Table 5-12, Multi-standard Base Station Revenue by Air Interface, Europe, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Table 5-13, Multi-standard Base Station Revenue by Air Interface, Asia-Pacific, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Table 5-14, Multi-standard Base Station Revenue by Air Interface, Latin America, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Table 5-15, Multi-standard Base Station Revenue by Air Interface, Middle East & Africa, Forecast: 2008 to 2014
  • Table 5-16, Percentage Cost Breakdown of Multi-standard Base Stations,
  • Table 5-17, Remote Radio Head Revenue by Air Interface, World Market, Forecast: 2009 to 2014
  • Table 5-18, Remote Radio Head Shipments by Air Interface, World Market, Forecast: 2009 to 2014
  • Table 5-19, Multi-standard Base Stations by Site Type, World Market, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Table 5-20, Multi-standard Base Station and Upgrade ASPs by Air Interface, World Market, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Table 5-21, Multi-standard Base Stations in Refarmed versus Non-Refarmed Spectrum, World Market, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Table 5-22, Multi-standard Base Stations in Refarmed Spectrum, Western Europe, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Table 5-23, Multi-standard Base Stations in Refarmed Spectrum, Eastern Europe, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Table 5-24, Multi-standard Base Stations in Refarmed Spectrum, Asia-Pacific, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Table 5-25, Multi-standard Base Stations in Refarmed Spectrum, North America, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Table 5-26, Multi-standard Base Stations in Refarmed Spectrum, Latin America, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Table 5-27, Multi-standard Base Stations in Refarmed Spectrum, Middle East & Africa, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Chart 1-1, Multi-standard Base Stations in Refarmed versus Non-Refarmed Spectrum, World Market, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Chart 1-2, Multi-standard versus Single Standard Base Station Shipments, World Market, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Chart 1-3, Multi-standard Base Station Revenue by Air Interface, World Market, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Chart 5-1, Multi-standard Base Station Shipments and Revenue, World Market, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Chart 5-2, Multi-standard versus Single Standard Base Station Shipments, World Market, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Chart 5-3, Multi-standard versus Single Standard Base Station Revenue, World Market, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Chart 5-4, Multi-standard Base Station Shipments by Air Interface, World Market, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Chart 5-5, Multi-standard Base Station Revenue by Air Interface, World Market, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Chart 5-6, Multi-standard Base Station Shipments by Air Interface, North America, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Chart 5-7, Multi-standard Base Station Revenue by Air Interface, North America, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Chart 5-8, Multi-standard Base Station Shipments by Air Interface, Europe, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Chart 5-9, Multi-standard Base Station Revenue by Air Interface, Europe, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Chart 5-10, Multi-standard Base Station Shipments by Air Interface, Asia-Pacific, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Chart 5-11, Multi-standard Base Station Revenue by Air Interface, Asia-Pacific, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Chart 5-12, Multi-standard Base Station Shipments by Air Interface, Latin America: 2009 to 2015
  • Chart 5-13, Multi-standard Base Station Revenue by Air Interface, Latin America: 2009 to 2015
  • Chart 5-14, Multi-standard Base Station Shipments by Air Interface, Middle East & Africa, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Chart 5-15, Multi-standard Base Station Revenue by Air Interface, Middle East & Africa, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Chart 5-16, Percentage Cost Breakdown of Multi-standard Base Stations,
  • Chart 5-17, Multi-standard Base Station ASPs by Air Interface, World Market, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Chart 5-18, Multi-standard Base Stations in Refarmed versus Non-Refarmed Spectrum, World Market, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Chart 5-19, Multi-standard Base Stations in Refarmed Spectrum, Western Europe, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Chart 5-20, Multi-standard Base Stations in Refarmed Spectrum, Eastern Europe, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Chart 5-21, Multi-standard Base Stations in Refarmed Spectrum, Asia-Pacific, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Chart 5-22, Multi-standard Base Stations in Refarmed Spectrum, North America, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Chart 5-23, Multi-standard Base Stations in Refarmed Spectrum, Latin America, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Chart 5-24, Multi-standard Base Stations in Refarmed Spectrum, Middle East & Africa, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  • Executive Brief: Top-Line Forecast
  • Executive Brief: What Is a Multistandard Base Station?
  • Executive Brief: Drivers
  • Executive Brief: Spectrum Refarming Opportunity
  • Executive Brief: Challenges
  • Executive Brief: Summary

Tables

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  1. Multi-standard Base Station Revenue by Air Interface, World Market, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  2. Multi-standard Base Station Revenue by Air Interface, North America, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  3. Multi-standard Base Station Revenue by Air Interface, Europe, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  4. Multi-standard Base Station Revenue by Air Interface, Asia-Pacific, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  5. Multi-standard Base Station Revenue by Air Interface, Latin America, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  6. Multi-standard Base Station Revenue by Air Interface, Middle East & Africa, Forecast: 2008 to 2014
  7. Percentage Cost Breakdown of Multi-standard Base Stations,
  8. Remote Radio Head Revenue by Air Interface, World Market, Forecast: 2009 to 2014
  9. Remote Radio Head Shipments by Air Interface, World Market, Forecast: 2009 to 2014
  10. Multi-standard Base Stations by Site Type, World Market, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  11. Multi-standard versus Single Standard Base Station Shipments, World Market, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  12. Multi-standard Base Station and Upgrade ASPs by Air Interface, World Market, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  13. Multi-standard Base Stations in Refarmed versus Non-Refarmed Spectrum, World Market, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  14. Multi-standard Base Stations in Refarmed Spectrum, Western Europe, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  15. Multi-standard Base Stations in Refarmed Spectrum, Eastern Europe, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  16. Multi-standard Base Stations in Refarmed Spectrum, Asia-Pacific, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  17. Multi-standard Base Stations in Refarmed Spectrum, North America, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  18. Multi-standard Base Stations in Refarmed Spectrum, Latin America, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  19. Multi-standard Base Stations in Refarmed Spectrum, Middle East & Africa, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  20. Multi-standard Base Station Shipments by Air Interface, World Market, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  21. Multi-standard Base Station Shipments by Air Interface, North America, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  22. Multi-standard Base Station Shipments by Air Interface, Europe, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  23. Multi-standard Base Station Shipments by Air Interface, Asia-Pacific, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  24. Multi-standard Base Station Shipments by Air Interface, Latin America, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  25. Multi-standard Base Station Shipments by Air Interface, Middle East & Africa, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  26. Multi-standard versus Single Standard Base Station Revenue, World Market, Forecast: 2009 to 2015

Charts

  1. Multi-standard vs. Single Standard Base Station Shipments World Market, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  2. Multi-standard Base Station Revenue by Air Interface World Market, Forecast: 2009 to 2015
  3. Multi-standard Base Stations in Refarmed vs. Non-Refarmed Spectrum World Market, Forecast: 2009 to 2015

Figures

  1. Common Platform Multi-standard Base Station
  2. Wireless System Architecture and the Hardware-Software Boundary
  3. Technological Evolution of Software Configurability
  4. Single-Band Radio Reconfigurability versus Multiband, Multimode Radio Reconfigurability
  5. DSP/ASSP/FPGA Baseband Channel Card
  6. Total RAN Sharing Cost Savings Potential: 2010 to 2014
  7. CAPEX for Traditional and Multi-standard Base Station
  8. Base Station Location Site with Separate GSM and WCDMA Poles (Two Different Operators)