Wireless Backhaul

With traditional copper lines remaining costly, wireless backhaul seems poised to handle exponential jump in backhaul from 3.5G and 4G networks expected through 2015

Fiber, previously thought to be the copper alternative of choice for backhaul, is in trouble. According to Larry Swasey of Visant Strategies, “Fiber is not always available at base stations or at middle elements of the wireless network, such as the RNC/BSC, so carriers are using more wireless backhaul.” With the explosion of WiFi hotspots and cellular carriers increased need for long-range wireless broadband to deliver voice and data back to their networks, the search is on for more wireless solutions. Ethernet is a strong contender.

Although T1 and E1 have long been the transport carriers of choice for wireless backhaul, the costs of backhauling traffic from cell towers to controllers and switching centers over T1 and E1 has become a large percentage of wireless operations expenses. Ethernet transport, on the other hand, is an attractive technology because it not only supports higher data rates but also offers an appealing cost-per-bit of transported traffic. Ray Le Maistre, International News Editor for trade publication Light Reading, reports that “Synchronous Ethernet (SynchE) is a key enabling technology for cost-effectively deploying large-scale converged Ethernet backhaul and to simultaneously carry the traffic of 3.5G, 4G and beyond.”

Best-in-Class Wireless Backhaul features:

• Offers a technology scheme to mitigate wave interference.
• Offer 60 and 80 GHz bands that overcome the fallibilities of lower frequency backhaul options.
• Quality of service (QoS) unaffected by meteorological conditions, especially rain, which frequently degrades performance.

Top Considerations before Wireless Backhaul:

The numbers tell the story: wireless is coming on strong. For example, HDTV commands 19 Mbps per TV set. Multiply that by 2 or 3 TV sets per household in the US. The obvious result: a heretofore unimagined bandwidth demand. Even the big service providers planning nationwide rollouts are currently shopping for and testing wireless backhaul solutions.

Key Providers:

1. Proxim Wireless (formerly Proxim Corporation; and previously known as Western Multiplex) offers scalable broadband wireless WAN and LAN networking systems which consist of wireless modems, routers, gateways, and Ethernet bridges and are used to expand private networks in homes and businesses, including high-capacity, license-free PtoP bridges from 11Mbps to Giabit Speed. The company also develops wireless network management software, most notably with Intel for WiMAX base stations and subscriber access points. Proxim Wireless was acquired by Terabeam Wireless in 2005. Proxim Wireless

2. BridgeWave Communications, Inc., founded in 1999, is a supplier of wireless gigabit connectivity solutions. BridgeWave's point-to-point wireless bridges are deployed in mainstream enterprise and service provider network applications and will play a role in the migration to 4G mobile network backhaul. Winners of the Wireless Backhaul Distinction Award, the company was selected for successfully demonstrating a commitment to innovation toward the 4G wireless evolution. The FlexPort 80 GHz wireless solution for mobile backhaul are purpose-built for mobile operators and service providers offering maximum flexibility for cost-effective backhaul. FlexPort supports today's legacy traffic along with the expanded requirements of future 4G traffic, enabling carriers to migrate to next generation networks on their own timeline.

3. ALTIUS Communications is a supplier and integrator that is engaged in the Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) market. ALTIUS offers supplies, solutions and personnel covering the three main disciplines of broadband wireless; Last Mile Connectivity, Back Haul and Mesh Networks. Altius back haul equipment includes, the Motorola Canopy, BridgeWaves's Gig E Bridges, AirStream's SkyWay 7000, the Redline RedMax, plus additional backhaul solutions from SnapLink and Blue Bolt Networks. ALTIUS maintains a national and international presence through a network of customers and integrators, as well as selected manufacturers in the Broadband Wireless Access or BWA marketplace.

4. Ceragon Networks offers a wide array of high capacity wireless backhaul solutions for wireless service providers.  Wireless backhaul solutions from Ceragon Networks utilize microwave technology that transfer large amounts of network traffic between base stations and the infrastructure at the core of a mobile network. Ceragon designs its solutions to provide fiber-like connectivity for circuit-switched, or synchronous optical network technologies/ synchronous digital hierarchy (SONET/SDH), networks, next generation Ethernet/Internet Protocol (IP)-based, networks, and hybrid networks that combine circuit-switched and IP-based networks. The company's solutions are designed to deliver voice and premium data services, eliminate the backhaul capacity bottleneck, significantly reduce backhaul costs and transition to next generation IP-based networks, including LTE-Ready Mobile Backhaul and the FibeAir IP-10.

Wireless Backhaul
Definition: Wireless Backhaul is the use of wireless communications systems to get data from an end user to a node in a major network such as the Internet, the proprietary network of a large business, academic institution or government agency.