5G needs to move from CPRI to eCPRI because eCPRI uses standards-based Ethernet for fronthaul, replacing proprietary CPRI connectivity. This shift enables higher precision timing capabilities essential for vRAN and openRAN deployments on general-purpose server hardware, making the network more flexible and cost-effective.
eCPRI enhances 5G networks by enabling high-precision timing capabilities, crucial for network synchronization in vRAN and openRAN deployments. Compared to CPRI, eCPRI reduces both latency and jitter for high-priority traffic and improves the efficiency of 5G fronthaul networks. The bandwidth requirement of the enhanced interface is also about one-tenth of CPRI’s. And, unlike CPRI, eCPRI’s traffic can be moved on Ethernet, an important attribute for the rise of open RAN.
Summary
eCPRI fronthaul interface is future-oriented. It optimizes radio performance by analyzing traffic and prioritizing traffic in real-time using a coordination algorithm. Compared with CPRI, the eCPRI specification provides greater flexibility and reliability in positioning the functional split within the BBU physical layer. Generally speaking, CPRI is commonly used for traditional systems, while eCPRI is more suitable for 5G wireless communication technology.