Mobile backhaul is a hot topic in our industry not only for a short time. The massive and ongoing growth of data traffic keeps challenging mobile operators with the migration from traditional TDM-based backhaul solutions to packet-based networks. Latest strategies and more efficient ways to design packet backhaul networks have been in focus at the Light Reading Live! Backhaul & 4G Core Strategies for Mobile Operators show in New York City last week.

Leading mobile operators and alternative access providers discussed the most pressing issues in packet backhaul and 4G core networks during exciting panel sessions and operator keynotes. While topics such as bandwidth growth, end-to-end optimization and efficient backhaul topologies for LTE continue to be of broader interest, the deployment of small cells, the evolution to Cloud RANs and the synchronization of the RAN were new key items on the agenda.The deployment of small cells and adequate backhaul solutions are an important component of tomorrow’s RAN architecture to increase access capacity and optimize usage of the available spectrum. While there is common understanding that small cells are not a key component of many initial LTE deployments, they are clearly part of the strategy for every mobile operator. Experts discussed during various panel sessions how quickly small cells will be introduced on a large scale, challenged by the moderators to address this question from different angles. Operators were generally more conservative in their estimates than equipment vendors, as typical for our industry.

The Cloud RAN is a new, upcoming topic. Initially promoted by China Mobile and now looked at by various other mobile operators and vendors, the new concept proposes the separation of the radio device from the controller to provide better scalability and lower cost. Similar as in Cloud Computing, the Cloud RAN concept is introduced to increase the average utilization of resources in the RAN by defining a virtual architecture where resources are allocated from a central pool as they are required. The audience at the show agreed that backhaul plays an important role in this scenario of collaborative radios and central processing. High capacity, ultra-low latency and highest availability are key attributes of the backhaul network to enable Cloud RANs. New opportunities come with new challenges.

Last but not least, the delivery and assurance of timing and synchronization received increased interest at the event. Unlike for most other applications where packet-based technology enables efficiency and scalability of the network, highly accurate timing information has to be delivered across the mobile backhaul network to assure frequency stability and proper operation of the RAN. While frequency synchronization today is commonly deployed by implementing different technology alternatives, the experts now focus on the delivery of exact time-of-day information to enable LTE Advanced without the requirement for GPS. Precision Time Protocol, also referred to as IEEE 1588v2, is seen as the winner here by most of the experts. Deployments are still at an early stage – an area where mobile operators now start to define their strategies.

So, more to come. The design of advanced mobile backhaul networks is crucial to the future growth of mobile services. And without solving the challenges, the adoption of new applications will be slowed down by network bottlenecks. A booming segment with lots of attention.