With the surging demand for smartphones, mobile data traffic has also increased at an exponential rate, straining present mobile backhaul networks. Mobile operators face the challenge of meeting the growing number of networks which would need to connect to mobile towers. Almost one third of a mobile network operator’s operational costs comes from mobile backhaul networks.
This is one of the major reasons why MNO’s are looking at investing in more technology to handle present and future demands. Failure to upgrade systems may lead to a collapse of the network, as seen in an example when Vodafone Australia’s network crashed back in 2010.
Operators are also deploying small cell technologies to cover gaps in their network systems. These picocels and microcells have also been a key factor compelling operators to upgrade mobile backhaul networks to meet the demand. Backhaul capacity has to grow, especially in high-traffic areas like urban centers. The present Time-division multiplexing (TDM) systems cannot handle the explosion of mobile data traffic alone.
Currently, operators are focusing in major overhauls of their backhaul systems to handle more bandwidth-intensive applications like voice on internet protocol and even mobile video conferencing. There is now a transition to ethernet-based mobile backhaul networks since the technology’s simplicity and economy makes it the logical step forward.
With an ethernet-based system, one can forego the need to IP enabled switchpoints to coordinate traffic. This means the technology is a lot more cost-effective. Ethernet networks also have increased security features which would allow IP base stations and central routers to do the job of controlling the traffic or routing decisions.
The more cost-effective technology has minimized the present complex backhaul systems at work. Experts see it as the best solution to handle the mobile data traffic efficiently. Carrier ethernet has now became the preferred choice by MNO's in expanding backhaul capacity without compromising flexibility and security.
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