Flexible Access System Architecture (FASA) to Support Diverse Requirements and Agile Service Creation

This paper summarizes our studies on the flexible access system architecture (FASA), which will support a wide range of services and stimulate the creation of new services in the next generation. After reviewing related concepts and technical trends, FASA's concept and use cases are introduced. FASA aims to cover residential, enterprise, and mobile backhaul/fronthaul services. The technical directions associated with implementing FASA and the challenges raised are described. They include hardware design to maximize the use of common hardware, clarification of architectures that suit time-critical applications, and deeper soft-warization.