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February 2008, NEC Corporation

Executive summary

The arrival of mobile broadband services requires a step
increase in the capacity of mobile backhaul networks,
particularly microwave radio transmission networks. These
services require a new type of backhaul solution, one that scales
for the future and enables the delivery of a multitude of mobile
services. Such a solution will present several challenges to any
microwave network.
Carrying multi-service traffic over microwave links
cost-effectively
Increasing transport bandwidth capacity for data services
where possible
Maximizing efficiency of bandwidth utilization where
possible
Providing carrier-grade manageability and survivability of
multi-service transport

NEC, the worlds leading supplier of microwave radio systems,
now provides mobile network operators with a future-proof
Hybrid Packet Radio solution comprising PASOLINK series
microwave radio and CX2200 series multi-service transport
gateway equipment. This solution supports a flexible mixture of
TDM and packet traffic and is suitable for both transitional
phase and the long term. It also provides advanced
functionalities, including adaptive modulation radio (AMR),
flexible traffic aggregation, intelligent QoS, and powerful OAM.
In this way, this Hybrid Packet Radio solution achieves
backhaul network evolution strategies that will lead to future
revenue growth.

Mobile backhaul trends

Mobile infrastructure has been widely implemented over the
past 10 years, and operators have grown their businesses by
providing 2G/3G voice and data services for short message
service, e-mail, and Internet access.
Now, many operators are starting to provide new broadband
data services such as multimedia content downloading, mobile
TV broadcasting, on-line games, and ubiquitous computing.
Industry and market forecasts anticipate that data revenue will
grow at an accelerating rate with this broader spread of
broadband data services.
As the provision of broadband data services expands, it takes
more and more of the available bandwidth, which is the same
issues that afflicted fixed network operators for several years.
Operators are thus expected to steadily expand their network
capacity by implementing new mobile access technologies, such
as HSxPA, WiMAX, LTE, and UMB, to provide a stress-free
connectivity environment for their subscribers.
Figure 1 shows a roadmap of service availability based on the
implementation of mobile access technologies. In addition to the
widespread provision of 2G/3G services, 3.5G HSDPA
commercial services have already been launched in a number of
countries. Mobile WiMAX services are also available, and many
operators are preparing for their deployment. LTE and UMB
services are expected to be deployed starting in 2009. All of these
new services will basically be provided on packet-based
platforms instead of the TDM/ATM ones used for current
2G/3G-based services. Thus, mobile systems will be gradually
switched to packet-based platforms over the next several years.








2G
3G(ATM)/HSDPA
3G(IP)/HSUPA
3GPP-LTE
3GPP2-UMB
Mobile WiMAX
2008 2010 2015
Packet-based services
TDM-based services
Figure 1. Roadmap of service availability

To provide broadband data services, operators need to expand

the capacity of their backhaul. As a large number of links for
tens of thousands of wireless base stations is required, we must
consider how transmission networks can evolve cost-effectively.
So far, leased lines and microwave radio links are traditionally
used for such networks. Microwave radio systems have been
widely deployed due to their economical equipment cost, easy
installation, and disaster resiliency. Figure 2 shows an example
of a mobile backhaul network in which microwave equipment is
used for the transmission network.






Figure 2. Example of mobile backhaul architecture

Now, almost 90% of mobile operators have deployed
microwave systems, and the diffusion ratio has reached 60% of
base station coverage. Microwave systems have obviously
assumed an important role in the evolution of mobile systems.

Requirements for microwave mobile backhaul

Microwave-based backhaul needs to evolve as the new
mobile systems are widely implemented. However, operators
also need to ensure the continuity of their existing 2G/3G
services. For example, current 2G services will be provided until
at least 2015, so the transition and migration to packet-based
backhaul has to be done in a cost-effective and quality-assured
manner. Therefore, microwave equipment needs to provide a
multi-service platform that can accommodate TDM, ATM, and
other packet traffic such as Ethernet, MPLS, and IP
simultaneously as well as maintain the existing 2G/3G service
quality.
Four functional capabilities are required to support such a
microwave-based backhaul evolution.

1) Carrying multi-service traffic cost-effectively
In line with the expected service availability illustrated in Fig.
1, a multi-service platform is needed that can dynamically
work as a TDM platform, a TDM/packet hybrid platform, and
an all-packet platform. It should thus support both
TDM/packet hybrid switching and effective multiplexing. In
addition, to enable smooth and seamless migration, it should
provide the switching capacity to be flexibly apportioned to
TDM/ATM and packet traffic in accordance with their traffic
volumes. Furthermore, current investments in widely
installed microwave equipment should be protected even as
the type of traffic changes due to service transition and
migration.
In the switching and multiplexing of TDM/ATM and packet
traffic, service level agreements (SLAs) should be satisfied.
For example, voice services are delay-sensitive but not so
sensitive to packet loss, while mobile TV broadcasting
services are bandwidth and packet-loss sensitive but not so
sensitive to delay. These differences in sensitivity mean that a
finely tuned SLA guarantee mechanism should be applied.
Optical Optical Network Network
RNC
BSC
STM-1
STM-1
Microwave Microwave
Radio Radio
Node-B
E1
E1
BTS

2) Increasing transport bandwidth capacity for data services
In 3G and later microwave-based backhauls, the link
bandwidth capacity needed to accommodate broadband data
services, such as HSDPA, is expected to grow drastically. The
most effective way to expand the link capacity is to widen the
frequency band of the carriers. However, operators assigned a
limited frequency band need to maximize the usage efficiency
of the given spectrum. The microwave links for 2G/3G
services are engineered to guarantee the bandwidth even
under the worst weather conditions. In contrast, for later new
data services, such as HSDPA, it is more important and
desirable to maximize throughput in accordance with the
weather conditions, while ensuring the high-quality traffic
(e.g. 2G/3G-based voice traffic). This requires the application
of adaptive modulation schemes that can dynamically
maximize the spectrum efficiency under the given weather
conditions.

3) Maximizing efficiency of bandwidth utilization
Another way to expand capacity is to apply effective
multiplexing schemes. There are two approaches to
multiplexing: overhead reduction and traffic aggregation.
In the overhead reduction scheme, higher throughput is
obtained by eliminating unnecessary bits of data. For
example, encapsulating TDM/ATM traffic in IP and/or
Ethernet protocols adds several tens of bytes of overhead to
the native TDM/ATM traffic. This degrades effective
throughput. If the TDM/ATM traffic is still dominant, this
overhead should be eliminated where possible.
In the aggregation scheme, higher throughput is obtained
through the statistical multiplexing effect. Since burst traffic

2

can impact SLA compliance in over-subscribed environments,
technologies that guarantee SLA compliance should also be
applied.

4) Providing carrier-grade manageability and survivability
With both TDM/ATM- and packet-based platforms,
comprehensive management functionality is needed to
ensure smooth transition and migration. Packet-based
management functionality has historically been less than
satisfactory, while TDM/ATM-based management
functionality has proven capabilities. Furthermore,
performance measurement functionality, such as
measurement of transmission delay and jitter, is required for
maintaining and verifying compliance with multiple SLAs.
Therefore, an advanced OAM functionality is required for the
packet-based backhaul scenario.
From a network reliability point of view, packet-based
backhaul networks also require resiliency against link and/or
node failures, which is equivalent to or better than
TDM-based backhaul networks based on SDH/SONET
technology.

NECs Hybrid Packet Radio solution

NECs brand-new Hybrid Packet Radio solution comprising
its world-class PASOLINK NEO microwave radio and
CX2200/100 multi-service transport gateway (shown in Fig.3)
enables available wireless resources to be effectively optimized.
This solution supports an efficient mixture of TDM/ATM and
packet traffic while enabling a smooth migration at minimum
cost.







Figure 3. Overview of the comprised equipment

This solution offers following functionalities and advantages.

1) Multi-service transport platform with SLA assurance
PASOLINK and CX2200 provide TDM/packet hybrid
platform supporting both low-latency circuit switching for
TDM traffic and effective packet switching for Ethernet,
MPLS, and IP. Various interfaces such as TDM E1/T1 to
STM-1, ATM E1/T1 IMA to STM-1, and Fast Ethernet to
Gigabit Ethernet can be accommodated and reconfigured by
simply changing the interface modules. The equipment can
thus be used as a TDM/ATM backhaul platform, a TDM/ATM
and packet hybrid platform, and a pure packet platform as
the mix of services provided evolves.
In addition, all types of traffic can be mapped onto the same
radio interface, meaning that, once an outdoor unit is
installed, it can continue to be used during the
transition/migration process.
These flexibilities provide mobile operators with a solution
that overcomes migration and upgrade issues with a
minimum-cost.

2) Adaptive modulation radio (AMR)
PASOLINKs AMR functionality enables link capacity to be
optimized in accordance with the weather conditions. In the
AMR scheme, the most efficient modulation is used during
good weather conditions, while less efficient modulation is
used during bad weather conditions to ensure high-quality
traffic (e.g. voice). Figure 4 shows an example of how the
efficiency is adjusted to match the weather conditions. Under
bad weather conditions, QPSK at a rate of 40 Mbps is
applied; under good weather conditions 16/32 QAM at rate of
80/100 Mbps is applied. In this example, PASOLINK
provides 40 Mbps of transport capacity as a minimum and
100 Mbps as a maximum. It thus provides more than double
the capacity with low capital expenditure for upgrading a
backhaul network and provides a suitable solution for
best-effort data services such as HSDPA. Only data traffic is
subject to major bandwidth degradation; voice traffic keeps
the allocated bandwidth and retains the same availability
without redesigning the link budget. The quality of voice
traffic is always ensured even under bad weather conditions.


PASOLINK NEO PASOLINK NEO
CX2200/100 CX2200/100





Critical Critical condition conditions s
28MHz
32QAM
Normal Normal condition conditions s
Best-effort traffic
Guaranteed traffic
28MHz
16QAM
28MHz
QPSK
Voice
Data
Voice
Data
Figure 4. Optimization of link capacity with AMR


3

3) Direct mapping of TDM and packet traffic
PASOLINK also provides efficient and
bandwidth-guaranteed multiplexing by means of direct
mapping. In its innovative direct mapping scheme, the
guaranteed traffic of 2G/3G TDM/ATM over E1/T1 channels
and packet traffic are natively mapped onto a radio frame, as
shown in Fig. 5 (a). Unlike with conventional schemes, such
as TDM radio (SDH/SONET multiplexing) and
Circuit-emulation-based packet radio (PWE3 encapsulation),
shown in Fig. 5 (b) and (c), respectively, there is no overhead
with PASOLINKs scheme, so the bandwidth is used the most
efficiently. In addition, since overhead processing is not
required, ultra-low latency, which is required for 2G/3G-based
voice services and other delay-sensitive services, is achieved.









Figure 5. Radio frame mapping schemes

4) Flexible traffic aggregation
CX2200 provides a flexible traffic aggregation scheme that
increases throughput efficiency. It utilizes 64-kbps based
TDM grooming for delay-sensitive TDM traffic. Moreover,
packet traffic for Ethernet, MPLS, and IP is effectively
treated in a statistical multiplexing manner. CX2200 provides
intelligent QoS featuring fine-grained packet policing and
shaping functionalities, so the outgoing traffic rate is
sufficiently controlled even when receiving burst traffic or in
over-subscribed environments. It also provides elaborated
bandwidth management features such as minimum
bandwidth guarantee (CIR: committed information rate) and
maximum bandwidth limitation (EIR: excess information
rate). It thus assures SLA compliance for each packet flow.

5) Carrier-grade OAM and protection
CX2200 also supports Ethernet-based OAM functionality
standardized in ITU-T Y.1731 and IEEE 802.1ag. Continuity
check function detects failures and incorrect configurations
automatically. Loopback and Linktrace functions assist in the
fault localization and verification processes. Performance
monitoring, which measures the delay, jitter, and packet loss
ratio for each flow, enables mobile operators to verify the
quality of the transport network.
In addition, CX2200 supports the advanced protection
mechanisms of Ethernet APS and Ethernet Ring as well as
the link aggregation and spanning tree protocols, thus
providing reliability equivalent to that of TDM networks.
These OAM and protection functions bring proven
manageability and survivability and existing TDM/ATM
attributes to packet-based backhaul networks.

Summary

Next-generation microwave radio systems must be able to
accommodate both new broadband services and legacy 2G/3G
services on a single platform simultaneously. Microwave
system platforms must therefore evolve significantly toward
multi-service ones. Drastic capacity growth and efficient
capacity use are also required to enable data services with large
volumes of burst traffic to be accommodated. In addition,
carrier-grade management for multi-service platforms is also
needed.
NECs Hybrid Packet Radio solution provides an advanced
microwave system that meets these requirements. It provides
mobile operators with a minimum-cost, multi-service platform
capable of supporting a flexible mixture of TDM and packet
traffic during and after migration and upgrade phases. It also
provides higher throughput through the use of adaptive
modulation radio and effective multiplexing schemes as well as
the QoS and OAM functionalities needed to guarantee
carrier-grade service quality. As stated above, this solution
achieves backhaul network evolution strategies that will lead to
future revenue growth.




i





Copyright 2008 NEC Corporation. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of respective
companies. Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
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