CPRI Data Block Transmission Method and Apparatus

A method of receiving data, the method comprising:

• receiving data in slots of a FlexE calendar of a Flex Ethernet physical layer group, FlexE PHY group;
• identifying a start of a Common Public Radio Interface, CPRI, frame in the data;
• and
• identifying CPRI data blocks of the CPRI frame in the data;
• wherein a bit rate of the CPRI data blocks is lower than a bit rate of the slots of the FlexE calendar, and the method further comprises
• receiving additional data blocks in the slots of the FlexE calendar, wherein the additional data blocks include a timestamp and/or indicate a status of a CPRI communication link for the CPRI data blocks.

Apparatus for transmitting data, the apparatus comprising processing circuitry and a memory, the memory containing instructions executable by the processing circuitry such that the apparatus is operable to:

• identify a start of a Common Public Radio Interface, CPRI, frame;
• identify CPRI data blocks of the CPRI frame;
• and
• transmit the CPRI data blocks of the CPRI frame in slots of a FlexE calendar of a Flex Ethernet physical layer group, FlexE PHY group;
• wherein a bit rate of the CPRI data blocks is lower than a bit rate of the slots of the FlexE calendar, and the memory contains instructions executable by the processing circuitry such that the apparatus is operable to
• transmit additional data blocks in the slots of the FlexE calendar, wherein the additional data blocks include a timestamp and/or indicate a status of a CPRI communication link for the CPRI data blocks.

Apparatus for receiving data, the apparatus comprising processing circuitry and a memory, the memory containing instructions executable by the processing circuitry such that the apparatus is operable to:

• receive data in slots of a FlexE calendar of a Flex Ethernet physical layer group, FlexE PHY group;
• identify a start of a Common Public Radio Interface, CPRI, frame in the data;
• and
• identify CPRI data blocks of the CPRI frame in the data;
• wherein a bit rate of the CPRI data blocks is lower than a bit rate of the slots of the FlexE calendar, and the memory contains instructions executable by the processing circuitry such that the apparatus is operable to
• receive additional data blocks in the slots of the FlexE calendar, wherein the additional data blocks include a timestamp and/or indicate a status of a CPRI communication link for the CPRI data blocks.