Ethernet Backhaul for 4G: Successes and
Challenges
Presented by Dave Jones
SVP Network Services, FiberTower
Outline
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
FiberTower Overview
4G Backhaul Requirements
Bandwidth Requirements by Cell Type
Case Study: Fiber vs. Microwave
Successes to Date
Challenges to Be Met
FiberTower Overview
FiberTower, a leading backhaul services provider,
increasing the overall quality of wireless networks

Facilities based hybrid fiber/microwave backhaul provider delivering the critical
link between wireless consumer access and the core network

Long track record: Delivering service quality
& operational efficiencies with backhaul &
premise access solutions since 2003


Operating networks in 13 major markets
with extensive, nationwide spectrum
footprint in the 24 GHz & 39 GHz bands
Products & Services





SONET: nxT1, DS-3, OC-n
Ethernet: 5mb to 1Gig
Wavelengths: Inter & Intra Metro
TDM to Ethernet Migration
Carrier Class, Highly Scalable
Utilizing unique and optimal mix of fixed wireless and fiber technologies to provide highly scalable,
cost effective solutions for advanced wireless networks
A 2010 fastest growing technology company in North America #118 on the Deloitte 2010 Technology Fast 500
4G Backhaul Requirements
•
Carriers require long-term backhaul solutions that can scale with their business needs
•
Timeframe for implementation is now
•
Challenge – achieving the “Three C’s”
–
–
–
Coverage
Cost
Capacity
Key Requirements
Capacity
Coverage
Cost
Quality
Ethernet
support
•Clear path to 300+ Mb/s per site
•Solution for all sites in a market
•Rapidly declining cost structure ($/Mb/s)
•TDM-like quality (availability, performance specs)
•Technical requirements + ability to support a graceful
migration from TDM
Ethernet Variations
Carrier-Grade Ethernet
transport is not a commodity!
Service configurations
E-Line (EPL, EVPL)
E-LAN
Various VLAN tagging
schemes
Classes of
Service
CBR
VBR-RT
VBR-NRT
Best Effort
Handoff Types
Cell site
100baseT, GigE
Electrical or optical
MSC
GigE, 10GigE, SONET
Protected, Un-protected
Bandwidth Requirements by Cell Type
Outdoor
Coverage
Site Type
Radius
4G Bandwidth
Backhaul Technology
macro
2-10 miles
50-300 Mbps
Fiber or microwave
(carrier class)
micro
0.2-2 miles
50-300 Mbps
Fiber or microwave
(carrier class)
pico
300-1000 feet
20-50 Mbps
Fiber or microwave
(carrier class)
Operator-deployed
User-deployed
femto
Indoor
Coverage
<300 feet
5-10 Mbps
Cable or xDSL
(user provided,
best-effort)
Deployment of picocells and femtocells will explode as 4G networks are rolled-out in order to
provide the required in-building coverage and capacity, and will present new backhaul challenges.
Case Study: Fiber vs. Microwave
Objective: To evaluate the impact of a hybrid fiber-microwave network architecture in a Tier 1
market using real-world data
Input Data and Assumptions:
• Major wireless carrier site list
• Major, high-density fiber network
• Licensed microwave radio equipment (11-24 GHz)
Capex per Site
Evaluate % of sites reachable by:
• Lateral build from fiber backbone (0.5 and 1 mile range)
• 1st hop microwave from fiber-fed sites (5 mile radius)
• 2nd hop microwave from fiber-fed sites (5 mile radius)
Microwave
Fiber - Aerial
Fiber - Buried
Distance from Fiber
Case Study: Conclusions
•
Depending on the fiber lateral distance that can be economically justified, 39 to 60% of
sites can be served by fiber (ideal case)
•
By leveraging microwave radios to create a hybrid architecture, ~95% of sites can be
reached
•
In Tier 2 / Tier 3 markets, where sites are more widely distributed and fiber routes are less
dense, the % of sites economically reachable with fiber is much lower and the relative
impact of microwave will be greater
Tier 1 Market Analysis
100%
6%
6%
80%
60%
100%
4%
5%
30%
50%
40%
60%
20%
Tier 3 Market Estimate
80%
11%
7%
Unreachable
Unreachable
2nd Hop microw ave
60%
1st Hop microw ave
40%
48%
60%
Fiber lateral
Fiber lateral
22%
0%
36%
0%
1/2 mile
1 mile
Distance from Fiber Backbone
2nd Hop microw ave
1st Hop microw ave
20%
39%
8%
8%
1/2 mile
1 mile
Distance from Fiber Backbone
Hybrid Fiber-Microwave Architecture
Legend
MSC = Mobile Switching Center
FEP = Fiber Exchange Point
RF = Radio Frequency
Successes to Date
• Ethernet backhaul deployment is progressing rapidly in Tier 1 markets
for most major carriers
• Demand for backhaul capacity (Mbps per cell site) is accelerating
• New backhaul providers - cable MSOs and alternative access providers
– are playing significant role
• Most wireless base stations are now Ethernet backhaul-ready
Challenges to Be Met
• Many sites in Tier 1 markets are proving difficult to reach with fiber
• Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets will be more challenging due to dearth of
fiber options and lower cell site densities, especially in rural areas
• Most carriers have unique technical requirements, which continue to
evolve based on results of initial deployments
• Bandwidth requirements and user data traffic characteristics need to
be better understood in order to optimize backhaul network
performance and economics
• Picocell backhaul will require new, low-cost approaches to address
deployment and line-of-sight challenges