China Unicom trials ADVA’s fully assured 5G sync solution

ADVA says that a comprehensive 5G network timing solution built on its Oscilloquartz synchronization technology has excelled in field trials in China Unicom’s live network. Featuring the OSA 5410 Series of compact and cost-effective timing distribution and assurance devices and integrated with ADVA’s network management system, the solution succeeded in delivering the precision and stability required for next-generation connectivity. 5G applications demand a new level of phase, frequency and time-of-day synchronization across the mobile backhaul network, including unprecedented accuracy and reliability at cell sites. The timing network achieved this while monitoring and assuring sync performance across China Unicom’s mobile infrastructure in real-time.

“The success of this trial is great news for our customers, partners and the whole 5G industry. By harnessing Oscilloquartz’s market-leading technology, we’ve found a way to meet the challenges of synchronizing next-generation mobile networks while simultaneously reducing both CAPEX and OPEX,” said Yong Zhang, general manager, network technology research institute, China Unicom. “5G demands higher data rates, greater coverage and more effective use of spectrum, and that requires phenomenal timing accuracy at cell sites. To support emerging applications in fields such as self-driving vehicles it’s also imperative to ensure no loss of performance or service delivery. That’s why proactive sync monitoring is another vital componenet of 5G networks. With the OSA 5410 Series’ Syncjack™ probing and assurance technology, operators receive continuous information while the network is active, enabling them to anticipate any issues and minimize disruption to service.”

The trial solution was built on the OSA 5410 Series. This family of PTP grandmaster devices with integrated GNSS receivers and sync probes provides sub-microsecond timing accuracy along with unbeatable robustness and scale. These uniquely flexible devices can be configured to operate in APTS, grandmaster, boundary and slave clock mode. The technology’s versatility and operational simplicity enables a distributed architecture with timing at the edge of the mobile backhaul network, offering China Unicom a highly efficient approach to transitioning its existing infrastructure. Powered by Oscilloquartz’s Syncjack™ technology, the OSA 5410 performs clock frequency and phase accuracy measurements of both PTP and legacy networks while operating in service. This replaces expensive periodic offline testing. The enhanced robustness of continuous, real-time sync assurance is particularly essential for ultra-reliable low-latency communication 5G technologies.

“China Unicom is a company that shares our drive to provide exceptional service to all customers. Working closely together, we’ve been able to demo a phase and time synchronization solution that efficiently addresses the needs of 5G while also significantly reducing cost. What’s more, by demonstrating the OSA 5410 Series’ timing assurance capabilities, we’re highlighting a clear path to real-world deployment,” commented Gil Biran, general manager, Oscilloquartz. “We’ve proved that utilizing our compact sync technology at the edge of mobile architectures enables a smooth and cost-efficient transition to 5G network timing. With our comprehensive portfolio, we can cater for all 5G and IoT timing needs, from our small-form-factor solutions designed for the most challenging and space-restrictive conditions all the way up to our fully redundant multi-technology timing products for ultimate scale and capacity in metro and core networks.”