Mobile backhaul networks have been under siege for the past three years as the smartphone market, typified by the iPhone, has exploded, and with it, data usage, which stresses backhaul networks. Adding LTE will only exacerbate the backhaul problem, bringing with it the need to continue backhauling 2G and 3G traffic.
Although LTE is IP-based, many mobile operators and backhaul transport providers want to keep their access and aggregation networks simpler by avoiding layer 3 routing and avoiding the use of dynamic routing and signaling protocols across the backhaul to the cell site.
They also prefer to transport not only LTE traffic, but also 2G/3G on carrier Ethernet backhaul (which they consider less complex and less expensive). Indeed, the costs of IP/Ethernet backhaul transport, whether wireline or microwave, are much lower than the costs of TDM.
This white paper shows how CE can be used to solve the many issues and problems involved with LTE backhaul.
This white paper originally posted on Infonetic Research website