Cell site architecture that supports 5g and legacy protocols

Abstract

In modern networks, RRU and BBU equipment of an access point site typically handles traffic from a single sector. An RRU-BBU pair process that traffic (often limited to a single spectrum from a single sector) according to implemented capabilities and other equipment located further upstream perform functions that rely on information from multiple sectors. An integrated device (e.g., white box) can integrate the functionality of multiple RRU (or NR in 5G) and the functionality of multiple BBU (or DU/CU splits in 5G), which can reduce implementation footprint, costs, and can provide related services more efficiently without going upstream.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device, comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
 receiving, from multiple different transceiver devices of an access point device, analog radio signals; 
 transforming an analog signal, of the analog radio signals, to a digital signal comprising packets of data; 
 encapsulating a packet of the packets, resulting in an encapsulated packet; 
 transmitting the encapsulated packet to network equipment; and 
 instantiating a virtual machine configured to execute a virtual network function configured to perform a carrier aggregation procedure that aggregates spectrums used to communicate between a user equipment and the multiple different transceiver devices of the access point device in response to examining a service allocation assigned to a subscriber entity associated with the user equipment. 
   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the analog radio signals are received via a client interface device that is situated on-site with the access point device and is configured to interface to the multiple different transceiver devices. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the encapsulating of the packet comprises selecting a type of encapsulation based on a selection criterion. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the type of encapsulation is one of a group comprising: a radio-over-Ethernet encapsulation or an Ethernet encapsulation. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the type of encapsulation is determined based on a frequency of the analog signal. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the type of encapsulation is determined based on a device identifier. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the type of encapsulation is a first type determined based on a second type associated with the network equipment to which the encapsulated packet is to be transmitted. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the digital signal is formatted according to a common public radio interface protocol. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the digital signal is formatted according to an evolved common public radio interface protocol. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the virtual machine is further configured to execute a different virtual network function that performs a handover procedure that hands over service of the user equipment from a serving transceiver device to a neighbor transceiver device in response to client data received from the user equipment and network data of devices of the access point device. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the virtual machine is further configured to execute a different virtual network function that performs a load balancing procedure that mitigates imbalances of resource utilization between devices of the access point device. 
     
     
         12 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising, comprising:
 receiving analog signals from different transceiver devices of an access point device;   converting an analog signal of the analog signals to a digital signal;   encapsulating the digital signal, yielding an encapsulated signal;   communicating the encapsulated signal to a target device, and   instantiating a virtual machine configured to execute a virtual network function configured to perform a carrier aggregation procedure that aggregates spectrums used to communicate between a user equipment and the different transceiver devices of the access point device in response to examining a service allocation assigned to a subscriber entity associated with the user equipment.   
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the encapsulating of the digital signal comprises selecting a type of encapsulation based on a selection criterion. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the type of encapsulation is selected based on a frequency of the analog signal. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the type of encapsulation is selected based on a vendor code. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the type of encapsulation is a first type selected based on a second type of the target device to which the encapsulated signal is to be transmitted. 
     
     
         17 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, by a device comprising a processor, analog signals from different transceiver devices of an access point device that communicate with subscriber devices;   transforming, by the device, an analog signal of the analog signals to a digital signal comprising a packet;   encapsulating, by the device, the packet to construct an encapsulated packet;   transmitting, by the device, the encapsulated packet to a target device;   via a virtual machine, executing, by the device, a virtual network function according to a network functions virtualization protocol, wherein the virtual network function is a carrier aggregation function; and   aggregating, by the device, spectrums used to communicate between the subscriber devices and the different transceiver devices according to the carrier aggregation function.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 via the virtual machine, executing, by the device, another virtual network function that performs a handover procedure that hands over service of a subscriber device, of the subscriber devices, from a serving transceiver device, of the different transceiver devices, to a neighbor transceiver device, of the different transceiver devices, in response to client data received from the subscriber device and network data of devices of the access point device.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 via the virtual machine, executing, by the device, another virtual network function that performs a load balancing procedure that mitigates imbalances of resource utilization between devices of the access point device.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising: determining, by the device, to instantiate the virtual machine in response to a determination that a latency requirement satisfies a defined threshold.