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Ethernet Backhaul for 4G: Successes and Challenges

Ethernet Backhaul for 4G: Successes and Challenges. Presented by Dave Jones SVP Network Services, FiberTower. Outline. FiberTower Overview 4G Backhaul Requirements Bandwidth Requirements by Cell Type Case Study: Fiber vs. Microwave Successes to Date Challenges to Be Met.

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Ethernet Backhaul for 4G: Successes and Challenges

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  1. Ethernet Backhaul for 4G: Successes and Challenges Presented by Dave Jones SVP Network Services, FiberTower

  2. Outline • FiberTower Overview • 4G Backhaul Requirements • Bandwidth Requirements by Cell Type • Case Study: Fiber vs. Microwave • Successes to Date • Challenges to Be Met

  3. 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 marketswith extensive, nationwide spectrumfootprint in the 24 GHz & 39 GHz bands • Utilizing unique and optimal mix of fixed wireless and fiber technologies to provide highly scalable, cost effective solutions for advanced wireless networks Products & Services • SONET: nxT1, DS-3, OC-n • Ethernet: 5mb to 1Gig • Wavelengths: Inter & Intra Metro • TDM to Ethernet Migration • Carrier Class, Highly Scalable A 2010 fastest growing technology company in North America - #118 on the Deloitte 2010 Technology Fast 500

  4. 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 Carrier-Grade Ethernet transport is not a commodity!

  5. Bandwidth Requirements by Cell Type Site Type Radius 4G BandwidthBackhaul 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) pico300-1000 feet20-50 Mbps Fiber or microwave (carrier class) femto<300 feet5-10 Mbps Cable or xDSL (user provided, best-effort) Outdoor Coverage Operator-deployed User-deployed 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. Indoor Coverage

  6. 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) 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)

  7. 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

  8. Hybrid Fiber-Microwave Architecture Legend MSC = Mobile Switching Center FEP = Fiber Exchange Point RF = Radio Frequency

  9. 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

  10. 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

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