With the introduction of High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) and the plan to evolve towards Long-Term Evolution (LTE), mobile-broadband usage has grown dramatically and will continue to do so. This is placing new demands on the section of a network between the radio base station and the core – also known as the backhaul network. 

At the recent LTE & HSPA Evolution Asia conference in Hong Kong, Georg Karl Kopf, director of the mobile backhaul customer sales program, said that many backhaul networks were originally designed to handle voice-centric traffic but because of the increased use of data services the backhaul is beginning to experience bottlenecks. “Delays and packet loss are becoming real problems,” Kopf says. “If operators simply maintain the status quo in their mobile backhaul, the cost increase could be potentially quite damaging.”

Ericsson’s strategy for solving this issue is to build or upgrade networks based on a combination of IP and Ethernet protocols. This allows operators to more effectively address cost, capacity and complexity, something Kopf refers to as the “triple c” approach.

Specifically, Ericsson’s strategy is to build radio-access networks based on Internet Protocol (IP), while designing backhaul networks based on the Ethernet protocol.
Kopf says that it is very important that operators begin planning now even if they have not yet experienced bottlenecks in their backhaul.

“The benefits are better reaction time, reduced download times and better quality of service for end users,” he says. Kopf says that, by introducing future-proof technologies, such as IP and Ethernet, operators can reduce their total costs of ownership (TCO).

“Through physical capacity increases and more efficient traffic aggregation we can address current bandwidth limitations,” Kopf says. Ericsson’s approach to capacity issues in the backhaul is to build them to be more scalable and efficient.

Many networks also employ a complex combination of protocols in their backhaul networks, including Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) and IP-based services. Ethernet, on the other hand, is the most common type of interface and is the most efficient protocol on which to base a backhaul network. Kopf says: “Keep it simple is the best advice.”

This strategy allows operators to more simply increase capacity. “This vision does not necessarily mean a new network. We give operators a migration path based on their existing assets,” Kopf says.

The benefits of the IP/Ethernet and “triple c” approach are clear. Kopf says that operators who are currently experiencing or forecast a high growth in mobile-broadband traffic, can realize 20 to 30 percent savings on capital expenditure and operational expenditure by upgrading backhaul networks and alleviating the issue of bottlenecks.