Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1192126
8 I ICT TODAY FIGURE 1: Fiber deployed to support different use cases, which will increasingly be 5G-related (note here the virtual/5G network architecture elements, such as radio unit (RU), distributed unit (DU), central unit (CU) or remote/distributed/central unit). It is true, however, that the fiber investment/rollout is often discussed together with the 5G investment/roll- out in operators' press releases or governments' infrastruc- ture plans. This should not be surprising considering the significance of broadband-enabled internet access that may even become a basic human right. To extend the fiber everywhere definition, one could potentially claim that 5G promises to make mobile com- munications fiber-like (i.e., wireless fiber) in terms of speed and reliability. More interestingly, 5G and optical fiber should be seen in symbiotic and synergistic terms. This article focuses on the rising importance of optical fiber networks, particularly in the context of 5G and future mobile/converged networks. To emphasize this importance and the relationship with 5G, the term FiberG for fiber generation is proposed. Similar to the fiber everywhere reference, FiberG does not imply that fiber should be deployed where it makes little business sense. Business cases may comprise criteria related to social and regional benefits that should be con- sidered in the return on investment (ROI) assessment of fiber deployment. Fixed Wireless Access Macro cell sites Distributed antenna systems (DAS) IP/MPLS network Access unit CPE Uplink Downlink Ethernet Aerial Fiber FTTH RRH Centralized radio access network (C-RAN) RF Small cells Fiber Optical distribution network Fronthaul CPRI Backhaul eCPRI