Mobile Backhaul

Foreword

In the last few years we have seen an explosion of traffic on mobile networks as more and more of our communication has become mobile. Today, many of the world's most advanced mobile networks struggle to meet the performance and cost requirements placed on them and they typically respond by investing heavily in technologies such as HSPA+ and LTE to increase the capacity of the air interface. What cannot be ignored in the end-to-end architecture of mobile networks is the transport that plays a major role in determining the overall performance and cost of such networks. It is in this context that hardly any title could be more topical than Mobile Backhaul.

The natural cycle of technology evolution and rapid replacement of legacy networks by more capable and efficient packet networks further complicate the transport strategies employed by service providers. As the benefits of past investments compete with the capacity and efficiency of new investments, the result is an environment where multiple technologies co-exist.

In addition, packet based communication poses technical challenges that are not straight forward to overcome. Not all packet technologies can be applied to mobile backhaul and a careful examination of the underlying technology is required to ensure the integrity of the overall system and its ability to meet specific requirements. Two relevant examples are quality of service and security. IP networks behave very differently in these two domains when compared ...