A Framework to Support the 5G Densification

5G networks are shaping a new ecosystem necessitating various transformations of the existing network infrastructures combined with the use of network softwarization and programmability, so as to satisfy the needs of all the involved stakeholders (telecom/service providers, infrastructure owners, tenants, vertical industries, end-users, etc.), while a wide range of issues have to be addressed spanning from technology to business domains. The 5G-PPP project 5G-PHOS [1] proposes a novel framework to allow telecom operators and service providers to overcome 5G densification issues while supporting the stringent 5G requirements in a flexible and cost efficient manner to allow for commercialization. This paper aims at providing indicative architectural instantiations of the 5G-PHOS solution, depicting the way the technology supports the 5G requirements and the stakeholders’ needs along with the functionalities and the deployment feasibility of an ambitious 5G fronthaul/backhaul network solution.