Can OTN be replaced by Ethernet? A network level comparison of OTN and Ethernet with a 5G perspective

摘要

Ethernet has evolved from a protocol for local area network transport to advanced carrier class metro transport as new features are brought in. Recently, industrial, automotive and 5G mobile fronthaul network applications have been addressed. Several new mechanisms are proposed and standardized, e.g. enabling deterministic latency. In light of 5G requirements, this paper reviews and discusses differences between Ethernet and ITU-T G.709 - Optical Transport Network OTN, and analyses Ethernet as an alternative to OTN for optical transport and access network applications.