 backhaul network. In an operator's Network slicing orchestrator NGFI OAM NGFI OAM configuration performance NGFI OAM RAN-transport interface monitoring provisioning KPI monitoring Class of service configuration KPI monitoring Slice 1 Class of service-Subclass 0 Slice 1 Slice 1 Class of service Subclass 0 Slice 1 Slice 2 Slice 2 Slice 2 Slice 2 Class of service Subclass 1 Class of service Subclass 1 Slice M-1 Slice M-1 Slice M-1 Slice M-1 Slice M Slice M Slice M Slice M Class of service Subclass N Class of service Subclass N Node A Node B Node A Node B (RRU or DU) (DU or CU) (RRU or DU) (DU or CU) Figure 1.38 Comparison of slice-agnostic and slice-aware transports 781 88 Chapter 1 network, the mobile backhaul connects small and macro-cell sites to the core network that is further connected to external data centers serving content and applications. The RAN is an increasingly critical part of the global network infrastructure and is the primary reason that network operators are extremely focused on the mobile backhaul network as a key ele- ment of their short to long-term business strategies. Therefore the capacity, latency, reliabil- ity, and availability of mobile backhaul networks must improve as the wireless access data rates increase to enable video-centric and other broadband user applications. In addition, mobile backhaul networks support specific technologies that together ensure an acceptable quality of experience, which include network timing and synchronization as well as operations, administration, maintenance, and provisioning. Recent technology advances and 4G/5G network deployments have created a new land- scape in the access networks through integration of wireless and fiber technologies. In the past, the use and deployment of fiber links in the backhaul was slow compared to that of wireless backhaul schemes due to somewhat low data rate requirements of the backhaul supporting typically large cell sites. With the decreasing cost of fiber deploy- ments and penetration of the fiber in the access netwo