Mobile Backhaul Solutions
Solutions for Service Provider
The relentless demand for premium video services is putting a tremendous strain on network access infrastructures as service providers look to support the resulting backhaul traffic. Mobile video traffic exceeded 50 percent of mobile traffic in 2011 and the average mobile connection speed will surpass 1 Mbps in 2014.
As the cost of backhauling traffic continues to rise, the need to drive down costs continues to be the central focus of operators. The conversion to Ethernet-based IP-enabled packet network is inevitable due to the lower cost and higher scalability compared to legacy access solutions. Backhaul traffic can include data, management, control, clock synchronization, OAM and voice. Mobile backhaul consists of legacy SONET/SDH, TDM/PDH and next-generation Gigabit Ethernet services as 4G infrastructure is deployed by mobile network operators.
4G / LTE Backhaul:
ADTRAN’s 4G/LTE mobile backhaul solution combines best-in-class Carrier Ethernet and edge-optimized, right-sized packet optical technologies that minimize service latency and support both legacy and the rapid growth of next-generation services. The solution provides the operator with a service management ecosystem from which an operator can not only manage its network, but manage its customers’ SLA expectations. The following benefits are provided by the solution:
- Supports a reliable, low-cost connection by limiting latency and reducing network complexity
- Supports service growth and expansion without risking service quality by using scalable wavelength separation of services
- Supports legacy and next-generation service, synchronization delivery and transport by using OTN to support SONET/SDH to Ethernet migration on a single fiber facility
- Supports the implementation of a HTML-based customer performance management portal to verify the compliance to strict SLA via an Advanced Operational Environment
Ethernet Access Gateways
ADTRAN offers versatile Carrier Ethernet access solutions to meet the needs of a multi-access next-generation mobile backhaul network. The solutions consist of an aggregation component that either resides in the mobile telephone switching office, and/or a hub site, and a cell site gateway component for the actual service delivery. The ADTRAN Total Access 5000 is a chassis based, aggregation platform providing flexible, scalable interfaces to the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) and Metro Ethernet Network (MEN). At the cell site a high performance termination device delivers intelligent Ethernet service; this either the ADTRAN NetVanta 8000 series Ethernet over Fiber or NetVanta 800 series, Ethernet over Copper network termination equipment (NTE), or Ethernet access gateway (EAG). This overall solution delivers QoS-based Ethernet services in addition to DS1 or E1 Circuit Emulation Services (CES) and a robust clock recovery mechanism that is delivered over packet-based access. This multi-service solution seamlessly offers aggregation and delivery of Ethernet services Gigabit Ethernet (EoF), as well as bonded copper using e.SHDSL and VDSL2/ADSL2+ technologies.
Ethernet over Fiber Solutions
With the integration of EoF in the Total Access 5000 and NetVanta 8000 platforms, ADTRAN offers a scalable solution that supports service migration as providers continue to examine the customer demand for greater bandwidth. ADTRAN's EoF solution offers inherent protection and resiliency while enabling higher bandwidths to reach greater distances. The OAM and FCAPS capabilities and processes will be virtually transparent between ADTRAN EoCu, EoTDM and EoF solutions. This will significantly reduce the operational impact of upgrading access facilities as customer access requirements change due to bandwidth demand; fiber supply and lease line/fiber costs; or requirements to deliver transparent service between business locations that do not share the same type of access facilities.
Ethernet over Fiber Solutions
High Performance Ethernet allows service providers to offer greater than 100Mbps rates to enterprises of all verticals at the lowest start up cost and quickest time to market, compared to fiber only deployment models. ADTRAN has a strong track record of accelerating network changes that enable service providers to quickly launch new revenue generating services. High Performance Ethernet access adds to that record expanding one of the industry's broadest Carrier Ethernet portfolios.
According to Vertical Systems Group < 20% of European commercial buildings with 20+ employees have a fiber access option. Ovum Research reports that >3 million Ethernet end-points will be deployed globally from 2011-2015 for delivering 100Mbps Ethernet services. 100Mbps is the largest service segment in North America, Europe and Asia.
The new product set can deliver up to a 400Mbps rate which is 6x higher than typical Ethernet over Copper solutions and 4-8x more than Business DSL typically provides. Enterprises will benefit from 100Mbps service levels to accelerate next generation applications and services. For example, medical institutions can enable new high resolution imaging equipment or quickly respond to regulatory initiatives for expanding tele-medicine capabilities. With High Performance Ethernet, the adoption of these new services is accelerated as the prerequisite access services are offered regardless of site proximity to fiber access. No more wait listing customers.
The solutions are an alternative to costly fiber or microwave build-outs or expensive SDH/SONET access. High Performance Ethernet is optimized for delivering high-capacity downstream bandwidth to better align with the traffic demands associated with cloud computing, as well as traditional business applications such as email and streaming video.
Next-Generation Aggregation
The recommended mobile backhaul solution offers next-generation Carrier Ethernet services and allows for the migration of incumbent SONET/SDH services and transport architectures. It heeds to the stringent requirement of 4G Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). It should be a versatile reference architecture providing the network operator with a highly scalable, agile, packet optical networking and Carrier Ethernet services solution to support both new and existing revenue streams whether from mobile, residential or business services.
Delivering Scalable Reliability for Mobile Backhaul
The relentless demand for premium video services has put a tremendous strain on network access infrastructures as service providers look to support the resulting backhaul traffic. The growing need to stay cost competitive in the mobile backhaul and residential broadband markets have service providers in need of an efficient solution that can successfully address both markets.
In the past, parallel networks were constructed to ensure each new service did not impact the quality of another—a method that is not only expensive to build and manage, but limits scalability. Now, service providers can eliminate the need for capital intensive overlays to support 4G backhaul services and grow their overall addressable market opportunity in both mobile and residential backhaul applications through scalable service separation. This approach delivers scalable reliability by extending MEF-certified, wavelength-separated Ethernet services to provide important service isolation - key for serving individual mobile network operator that may share a single cell site or simultaneously offer residential broadband or business Ethernet with wholesale backhaul services.
- Maintains a reliable, low cost connection between cell sites and mobile exchange
- Provides a scalable architecture supporting future growth in service, customer and network size
- Supports both legacy and next generation service (including synchronization) delivery and transport
- Assures compliance to Service Level Agreements via use of performance monitoring customer web-portal
- Minimizes the operational costs associated with end to end service activation, assurance and diagnostics
SONET/SDH to Packet Optical Migration
TDM/PDH service expansion led to the deployment of SONET/SDH networks to support the ramp-up of new residential, commercial and mobile backhaul services. This expansion grew from ramping circuit-based T1, E1 and J1 services. This resulted in the deployment of many SONET/SDH networks to aggregate and transport these circuit-based services, many of which continue to deliver significant although declining revenue streams. Today, next-generation IP/Ethernet services are rapidly expanding as demand comes from almost every enterprise vertical ranging from healthcare to education and scaling to near gigabit per second speeds. Many analysts forecast Ethernet service revenue will grow to US$40 billion by 2015.
Service providers evolve their networks to Packet Optical technologies to improve upon the capabilities of their legacy, SONET/SDH networks to support this large influx of packet-based services. Benefits of migrating to packet optical networking are as follows:
- Simplified remote provisioning and performance monitoring tools eliminating truck rolls
- Reduced network complexity, space and power reduces operational cost
- Increased access, aggregation and transport service capacity expediting service delivery
- Improved network flexibility and simplified multi-service delivery (residential, commercial and backhaul)
Mobile Offload:
Mobile network operators around the world are under tremendous pressure to meet the exponential growth in subscriber demand for mobile data. The demand for data will soon exceed operator capacity and the cost to transport data will outpace the revenue it generates. Wi-Fi networks can complement cellular networks, enabling operators to deliver data services, reduce traffic congestion on the mobile network and to cost-effectively increase network capacity.
ADTRAN’s Bluesocket vWLAN Wi-Fi Offload solution offers operators a seamless extension of their 3G and 4G networks that enables operators to increase their network capacity immediately at minimal cost, while providing the operator with complete control and management of the Wi-Fi offload network. The ADTRAN Bluesocket vWLAN solution can support a broad range of carrier applications such as:
- 3G/4G offload
- Small cells
- Managed and hosted hotspots/broadband access
- Mobile backhaul
Legacy Backhaul:
For the last couple decades, TDM connections known as a T1(or DS1) or E1 were used to provide connections, the backhaul, between the Base Transceiver Sub-system or Station (BTS) at the cell site and the Mobile Switching Centre (MSC) that provides the phone services and connected the mobile call to the PSTN or a public or private data network. This TDM connection was supplied by the local or regional carrier as a service to the wireless service provider (WSP), which during the rollout of 3G was usually just one or two T1s (1.5Mbps each). The WSP would then take their supplier’s backhaul connection and groom the bandwidth for the different applications. A CSU/DSU was used to do this – a few DS0 channels to a 1G BTS, a few more to 2G BTS, one to a remote management device and others as terminal server connections. As bandwidth demands increased to where 6 or more DS1 or T1 connections were required, higher order TDM and SONET connections were demanded from the carrier or transport provider. DS3 (45Mbps) and OC-3 (155Mbps) services were leased and the WSP deployed deMUXing solutions such as M13 multiplexer (MUX) or SONET/SDH ADMs to break down the lower cost per bit DS3 and OC-3 services to the T1 interfaces the existing BTS and CSU/DSUs required to operate. These MUXes, ADMs and DCS were deployed by the WSP at both the both ends of the backhaul connection the cell site and the mobile telephone switching office (MTSO) and any hub or intermediate aggregation site sitting between.
Backhaul Delivery Solutions
For mobile carriers, the largest network expense is backhaul. Now, more than ever, operators are looking for ways to reduce transport costs in the backhaul network by more efficiently utilizing bandwidth and optimizing their network for support of multiple technologies. As the cost of backhauling traffic continues to rise, the need to drive down costs continues to be the central focus of operators. The conversion to an Ethernet-based IP-enabled network architecture is inevitable. This will occur not only to handle an increase in new applications and mobile users, but to drive down the rapidly rising cost of backhaul. What specifically do we mean by the term backhaul? An example of the backhaul network is illustrated below. Note that the backhaul portion of the network can use any number of high-speed connections. Examples of backhaul connections are microwave, fiber, DSL, or any number of other connection technologies.
Cost-effective T1 and IP Backhaul using Microwave
The TRACER 6000 Series of microwave radios provides license-free, scalable connectivity for service providers and corporate networks. These radios feature two modular network interface ports that can accommodate various combinations of T1, E1, and Ethernet option cards up to 8xT1/E1 (16.384 Mbps). This flexibility provides customized TDM and packet solutions for voice and data applications in a single platform.
Optical Solutions using SONET/SDH (MSPP)
Specializing in creating reliable and efficient optical solutions for networking and communications, ADTRAN has established a whole new class of fiber optic multiplexer with the introduction of the OPTI Series. From DS1 to OC-48 and Ethernet, the OPTI Series delivers price performance in compact and flexible platform.
Cell Site Backhaul Optimization
At the base of a cell site tower is more than a CDMA or GSM base station needing a T1/E1 connection. There is a host of equipment interfaces needing to be groomed, consolidated, aggregated and sent along with the mobile communications back to the central office. Various solutions are available to backhaul all of these different connections whether remote antennae management, door alarms and/or FXO/FXS craftsperson phone set support. Ultra-versatile Channel Service and Data Service Units (CSU/DSU), TDM/PDH/SONET/SDH Multiplexers, Pseudowire or T1/E1 circuit emulation over packet networks all support driving down the cost of delivering backhaul to GSM, UMTS and CDMA base transceiver sub-stations (BTS) by optimizing the multiple connections needed to support overall cell site operations.
Channel/Data Service Units (CSU/DSU)
Providing the ultimate CSU/DSU for TDM lease line cost containment. Purpose built for cell site applications to provide DS1/0 grooming and remote management. Solution reduces TDM lease cost by grooming multiple partial DS1 circuits into a one or more fully utilized T1s. Solutions allows the transport of not only the BTS or NodeB traffic but also the LAN traffic and other special services.
Circuit Emulation
With the ADTRAN MX408e Pseudowire Gateway, Ethernet service delivery is consolidated onto a single multi-service network supporting the delivery of cost effective broadband service and legacy service revenue streams. ADTRAN’s pseudowire solution reduces operational costs by retiring expensive TDM leased lines.
Multiplexers (M13)
Typically the price to lease a DS3 (28 DS1s) is near the price to lease 6 or 7 DS1s individually, which drives the need for SONET or DS3 fiber to the cell site as mobile services drive backhaul traffic to higher and higher levels. M13 or SONET/SDH multiplexer solutions are then placed at either end of the higher rate optical backhaul connection. This is at the cell site and mobile exchange. Multiplexer solutions then break out the required DS1 services from the DS3 or OC3 transport.
SONET/SDH (ADM/MSPP)
The OPTI-6100 is a robust platform solution for wireless backhaul applications and is perfectly suited for delivery of the following services:
- High density DS1s
- Ethernet over SONET
- Ethernet over PDH
- TDM over Pseudowire
- Multiple DS3 delivery
The OPTI-6100 provides interworking with SONET optical networks which is achieved through the use of industry standard protocols and extensive field testing. Services are configured via plug-in units, which are provisioned according to the service needs of individual locations. This flexibility of multiple plug-in units eliminates the need for separate network elements and minimizes CAPEX and OPEX by delivering multiple services from a single system. Most plug-in units may be optionally protected, minimizing possible service failures to either the network facilities or to end customers, and enabling "carrier class" reliability.
