CLOCK SYNCHRONIZATION IN A CENTRALIZED RADIO ACCESS NETWORK HAVING MULTIPLE CONTROLLERS

摘要

Embodiment are directed to systems and methods for use with a central radio access network (C-RAN) comprising a plurality of controllers and a plurality of radio points. Each of the controllers is configured to determine if that controller should serve as a timing master for the controllers and the radio points and, if that controller should serve as the timing master, synchronize the local clock of that controller with a master clock source over a backhaul network and transmit synchronization messages from that controller over a fronthaul network for reception by the other controllers and the radio points and for use by the other controllers and the radio points in synchronizing the local clocks thereof with the local clock of that controller. Other embodiments are disclosed.