Written by: Araceli Calle, Alberto Fernandez Bravo, Mounir Merhi, Jens Poscher and Helena Stjerna

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Ericsson has developed a verified reference network design that optimally integrates general packet radio service (GPRS) and wideband codedivision multiple access (WCDMA) technology with site and backbone IP infrastructure. The solution, called Mobile Packet Backbone Network, or Mobile-PBN, unites Ericsson’s core network products, and includes, among other things, optimum designs for the service network, the network management center, and network synchronization. The solution is offered as part of Ericsson’s network design services.

The authors introduce the modular Mobile-PBN concept and describe some of its key modules—the multiservice backbone, circuit-switched layered architecture, and service network. They also describe the challenges associated with verifying the Mobile-PBN and how these have been solved in the context of an end-to-end network. The Mobile-PBN frequency synchronization solution has been described in a separate article.

[First published in Ericsson Review no. 01, 2004]