Management of a split physical layer in a radio area network

An article of manufacture comprising a tangible medium, that is not a transitory propagating signal, encoding computer-readable instructions that, when applied to a computer system, instruct the computer system to perform a method for facilitating communication between a core network and a wireless terminal in an upper first-level protocol unit (UL1) of a radio access network (RAN), the method comprising:

• performing a first portion of a physical-layer (PHY) protocol of the RAN in a first apparatus;
• communicating over a fronthaul link with a lower first-level protocol unit (LL1), the LL1 in a second apparatus separate from the first apparatus, wherein a remaining portion of the PHY protocol is performed by the LL1;
• determining a communication quality parameter for communication between the first apparatus and the LL1;
• and
• sending a message related to the communication quality parameter to an entity other than the LL1.

An apparatus for facilitating communication between a core network and a wireless terminal, the apparatus comprising:

• a hardware interface to a fronthaul link for communication with a lower first-level protocol unit;
• a processor coupled to the hardware interface to the fronthaul link;
• and
• memory, coupled to the processor, having instructions stored therein;
• the processor programmed by the instructions to:
• perform a first portion of a physical-layer (PHY) protocol of the RAN in the apparatus, the apparatus being a first apparatus;
• communicate over the fronthaul link with the LL1, the LL1 in a second apparatus separate from the first apparatus, wherein a remaining portion of the PHY protocol is performed by the LL1;
• and
• determine a communication quality parameter for communication between the first apparatus and the LL1;
• and
• send a message related to the communication quality parameter to an entity other than the LL1.

A system for facilitating communication between a core network and a wireless terminal comprising:

• a baseband unit (BBU) comprising an upper first-level protocol unit (UL1) of a radio access network (RAN) configured to perform a first portion of a physical-layer (PHY) protocol of the RAN;
• a remote radio unit (RRU) comprising a lower first-level protocol unit (LL1) configured to perform a remaining portion of the PHY protocol;
• and
• an entity other than the RRU;
• wherein the BBU is configured to communicate over a fronthaul link with the LL1 in the RRU;
• wherein the system is configured to determine a communication quality parameter for communication between the first apparatus and the LL1;
• and
• wherein the system is configured to send a message related to the communication quality parameter to said entity.