Synchronizing 5G Mobile Networks, 1st edition

Published by Cisco Press (June 17, 2021) © 2021

  • Dennis Hagarty
  • Shahid Ajmeri
  • Anshul Tanwar
  • Available for purchase from all major ebook resellers, including InformIT.com
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  • Available for purchase from all major ebook resellers, including InformIT.com

Title overview

In Synchronizing 5G Mobile Networks, three leading Cisco mobile networking technology experts thoroughly address the implementation and characterization of several synchronization standards, presenting practical deployment methods, realistic case studies, and well-tested design best practices. They help engineers and network architects understand the definitions captured in contemporary synchronization standards and apply them to design deployable solutions.


The authors provide in-depth discussions of key synchronization protocols and profiles including: Synchronous Ethernet standards (G.8262, G.8262.1), 1588v2 Telecom profiles, Precision Time Protocol (PTP) profiles (G.8275.1, G.8275.2), PTP performance profile (G.8273.2), Time sensitive networking (IEEE 802.1CM), GPS or GNSS or PRTC requirements as part of G.8272.x, and security requirements for synchronization protocols. They evaluate the design principle of each profile and performance standard, explains its application in 5G Mobility and Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communications (uRLLC), and help you choose right profiles or protocols for your environment. Detail sections cover network design and migration guidelines, test methodologies and operations and management practices, to help you successfully deploy time synchronization over converged IP networks.

Table of contents

    Foreword xxi

    Introduction xxiii

Part I Fundamentals of Synchronization and Timing

Chapter 1 Introduction to Synchronization and Timing 1

    Overview of Time Synchronization 1

    What Is Synchronization and Why Is It Needed? 3

    What Is Time? 10

    How Can GPS Provide Timing and Synchronization? 13

    Accuracy Versus Precision Versus Stability 15

    Summary 16

    References in This Chapter 16

    Chapter 1 Acronyms Key 16

    Further Reading 17

Chapter 2 Usage of Synchronization and Timing 19

    Use of Synchronization in Telecommunications 20

    Use of Time Synchronization in Finance, Business, and Enterprise 28

    Industrial Uses of Time—Power Industry 33

    Summary 34

    References in This Chapter 34

    Chapter 2 Acronyms Key 35

Chapter 3 Synchronization and Timing Concepts 39

    Synchronous Networks Overview 40

    Clocks 54

    Sources of Frequency, Phase, and Time 66

    Timing Distribution Network 82

    Consumer of Time and Sync (the End Application) 88

    Summary 89

    References in This Chapter 89

    Chapter 3 Acronyms Key 92

    Further Reading 95

Part II SDOs, Clocks, and Timing Protocols

Chapter 4 Standards Development Organizations 97

    International Telecommunication Union 98

    International Mobile Telecommunications 104

    3rd Generation Partnership Project 106

    Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 109

    European Telecommunications Standards Institute 116

    Internet Engineering Task Force 118

    Radio Access Network 120

    MEF Forum 126

    Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers and Audio Engineering Society 127

    Summary 128

    References in This Chapter 129

    Chapter 4 Acronyms Key 132

    Further Reading 137

Chapter 5 Clocks, Time Error, and Noise 139

    Clocks 139

    Time Error 154

    Holdover Performance 169

    Transient Response 172

    Measuring Time Error 173

    References in This Chapter 175

    Chapter 5 Acronyms Key 175

    Further Reading 177

Chapter 6 Physical Frequency Synchronization 179

    Evolution of Frequency Synchronization 180

    BITS and SSU 181

    Clocking Hierarchy 185

    Synchronous Ethernet 187

    Enhanced Synchronous Ethernet 189

    Clock Traceability 189

    Synchronization Network Chain 197

    Clock Selection Process 199

    Timing Loops 201

    Standardization 207

    Summary 207

    References in This Chapter 208

    Chapter 6 Acronyms Key 209

    Further Reading 211

Chapter 7 Precision Time Protocol 213

    History and Overview of PTP 214

    PTP Versus NTP 215

    IEEE 1588-2008 (PTPv2) 216

    PTP Clocks 242

    Profiles 250

    PTP Security 273

    IEEE 1588-2019 (PTPv2.1) 275

    Summary 280

    References in This Chapter 280

    Chapter 7 Acronyms Key 283

Part III Standards, Recommendations, and Deployment Considerations

Chapter 8 ITU-T Timing Recommendations 289

    Overview of the ITU 290

    ITU-T Study Group 15 and Question 13 291

    Reading the Recommendations 299

    ITU-T Physical and TDM Timing Recommendations 299

    ITU-T Recommendations for Frequency in Packet Networks 310

    ITU-T Packet-Based Timing Recommendations 316

    Possible Future Changes in Recommendations 340

    Summary 341

    References in This Chapter 341

    Chapter 8 Acronyms Key 342

    Further Reading 346

Chapter 9 PTP Deployment Considerations 347

    Deployment and Usage 348

    Factors Impacting Timing Performance 380

    Parameters for Timing Performance 383

    Clock Performance 401

    Budgeting End-to-End Time Error 419

    Network Holdover 422

    Packet Network Topologies 424

    Packet Transport 426

    Non-Mobile Deployments 430

    Summary 434

    References in This Chapter 435

    Chapter 9 Acronyms Key 437

    Further Reading 442

Part IV Timing Requirements, Solutions, and Testing

Chapter 10 Mobile Timing Requirements 443

    Evolution of Cellular Networks 444

    Timing Requirements for Mobility Networks 448

    Timing Requirements for LTE and LTE-A 455

    Evolution of the 5G Architecture 478

    5G New Radio Synchronization Requirements 496

    Summary 509

    References in This Chapter 510

    Chapter 10 Acronyms Key 512

    Further Reading 517

Chapter 11 5G Timing Solutions 519

    Deployment Considerations for Mobile Timing 520

    Frequency-Only Deployments 535

    Frequency, Phase, and Time Deployment Options 538

    Midhaul and Fronthaul Timing 550

    Timing Security and MACsec 556

    Summary 564

    References in This Chapter 565

    Chapter 11 Acronyms Key 567

    Further Reading 571

Chapter 12 Operating and Verifying Timing Solutions 573

    Hardware and Software Solution Requirements 574

    Writing a Request for Proposal 587

    Testing Timing 590

    Automation and Assurance 629

    Troubleshooting and Field Testing 635

    Summary 648

    Conclusion 649

    References in This Chapter 649

    Chapter 12 Acronyms Key 653

    Further Reading 658



9780136836254, TOC, 5/3/2021


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