Mobile backhaul testing needs updates, says Frost and Sullivan analysts

Current methods of testing mobile backhaul require updates that reflect the ongoing shifts to new technologies and architectures, said analysts from Frost & Sullivan.

The 3G telecom industry is currently shifting to Long Term Evolution (LTE) and 4G technologies. At the same time, mobile backhaul is moving to new architectures like Internet protocol (IP) and Ethernet, with backhaul speed going from TDM to hit up to 10 GB at certain facilities.

Due to the recent, massive, and rapid proliferation of media-rich and bandwidth-intensive applications, network operators are reevaluating the mobile network infrastructure. Testing companies are also implementing certification programs that intend to ensure telecom-network standards are upheld. The certifications' homogenous network devices work together to implement OEM technologies across the networks.

According to Mariano Kimbara, a senior research analyst for Frost & Sullivan, these paradigm shifts are creating opportunities for mobile backhaul testing. This migration presents a number of key growth opportunities for test equipment vendors,” he told the Backhaul Bulletin.

Mr. Kimbara went on to explain that mobile backhaul test equipment vendors would find it profitable to develop solutions that ensure mobile backhaul testing can operate with multiple networks. Customers are looking for a one-stop-shop investment to get all test deployments from a single source,” he said.

Mr. Kimbara explained that one of the main factors driving demand for the mobile backhaul test equipment markets is the continuous replacement of time-division multiplexing (TDM) technologies into Ethernet and IP technologies. According to him, the industry is going through an unprecedented high growth in mobile traffic and data. The massive demand stresses the importance of a new set of dynamics and realignment for mobile backhaul.

Within this transition, it is crucial for IP and Carrier Ethernet to stay ahead of higher-bandwidth and quality-intensive service demands, such as data, voice and video services delivered over the network,” Mr. Kimbara said.

The change in the infrastructure architecture that delivers LTE services is opening up growth opportunities of testing. By 2011, there were approximately 30 commercial LTEs. And Mr. Kimbara expects that voice over LTE (VoLTE) will be first implemented in 2012.

For at least the next two to three years, the industry is expected to experience a combination of both E1/T1 (for voice) and Ethernet/IP (for data services) technologies in the mobile backhaul market,” he said.

Mr. Kimbara further said that the hybrid-network approach poses several key challenges to the industry, as such networks must be compatible with both legacy networks and new architectures. Carriers are thus forced to look for cost-efficient ways to sustain two separate, different networks. At the same time, the new architectures are attempting to match the standard set by TDM networks.

BTI deploys mobile backhaul solutions for Fiberail in Malaysia

Metro networking company BTI Systems announced on July 19, 2012 that major Malaysian wholesale operator Fiberail expanded its deployment of BTI's Integrated Services Delivery Platform solutions.

Fiberail will be delivering Mobile Backhaul and Carrier Ethernet Business services across Malaysia through BTI's network solution. The Malaysian operator will also be able to provide "international interconnect" services to Thailand and Singapore.

Malaysia's telecommunications providers and its leading 3G Mobile and 4G WiMax operators rely upon Fiberail's extensive infrastructure and ancillary services throughout Peninsular Malaysia. Fiberail operates three fiber optic cable networks thousands of kilometers long that deliver voice, data and video capabilities through all major Malaysian towns. In addition, Fiberail recently expanded its metro Ethernet services to operators and financial service organizations, and it also provides services for global customers.

Fiberail chose the BTI 7000 Series packet optical networking platform, which converges Carrier Ethernet and wavelength services delivery at the metro service edge. The wavelength services are used by Fiberail to interconnect operators in neighboring countries, and the 7000 series' packetVX module cost-effective aggregation of 10G capacity for Mobile Backhaul and Ethernet services delivery. The use of a single platform to integrate different services also obviated the need for new infrastructure equipment.

In addition, Fiberail will also use the BTI 700 Series to directly deliver Ethernet connectivity to customer premises through the access network. Fiberail will be able to extend Carrier Ethernet services to business customers, carriers, cell towers, and data center operators.

The synergy between the BTI 7000 Series and 700 Series gives Fiberail the ability to provide end-to-end, low-latency Mobile Backhaul services to its many customers.

The rapidly-growing Malaysia market for broadband and mobile services currently has more than 34 million mobile subscribers. with one out of every three of those mobile subscribers owning 3G devices that require rapid content access. Broadband is estimated to have penetrated more than 55 percent of the households.

The market's growth is driven by mobile data and the demand for fixed broadband. Pyramid Research expects the telecom market to reach $14.6 billion service revenue by 2017. With BTI's help, Fiberail aims to leverage those new opportunities through its upgrades and expanded services.

MEF adds mobile backhaul to CE 2.0 agenda

The recent Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) took a look at mobile backhaul services as another application to be developed for the planned Carrier Ethernet (CE) 2.0 standard.

The MEF concluded the fiscal year 2012 with numerous highlights. This included passing the 200-member company mark, certifying over 150 service providers and equipment vendors to CE 1.0, and bringing the number of MEF-CECPs (MEF Carrier Ethernet Certified Professionals) up to 300.

In addition to demonstrating current CE 2.0 service capabilities for private cloud environments and improving Carrier Ethernet's dynamism and responsiveness to future requirements, the MEF also recently released MEF 22.1 (Mobile Backhaul Implementation Agreement Phase 2.)

"As the demand for Ethernet Services for Mobile Backhaul continues to skyrocket," said Brian Rose, Director of Product Development at Cox Business, "MEF’s standards-based framework helps us continue to scale and optimize this business.”

More than 200 organizations make up the MEF global industry alliance. Member groups include telecommunications service providers, cable MSOs, network equipment/software manufacturers, semiconductor vendors, and testing organizations.

The MEF aims to hasten the worldwide adoption of standardized Carrier-class Ethernet networks and services. To this end, it enacted Carrier Ethernet technical specifications and implementation agreements that advance interoperability and Carrier Ethernet deployment.

CE 2.0 possess powerful and standardized attributes of Multi-CoS, Interconnect and Manageability. It will take Carrier Ethernet and telecommunications to the next level of capabilities and cost-efficiency in order to handle exponential growth of data in business, mobile, and cloud applications.

Omnitron iConverter GM4 NID successfully integrated with Cyan CyPortal

Omnitron Systems announced that it has succeeded in integrating its iConverter GM4 Network Interface Device (NID) into Cyan's multi-layer customer portal CyPortal.

Omnitron's iConverter GM4 NID is an industry-leading demarcation device that compiles key SLA performance metrics. The performance data gathered by iConverter is put to good use by Cyportal, the SLA assurance and customer portal component of Cyan's 360 OS.

CyPortal correlates the data gathered by iConverter and simila NIDS with individual customer services. It will then present that data through a customer-oriented view. CyPortal's SLA reports will detail key Ethernet service quality parameters like availability, delay, jitter, throughput, and packet loss across multi-vendor networks.

Service level assurance reports cover key Ethernet service quality parameters like availability, delay, jitter, throughput, and packet loss across networks that host multiple vendors. Accurate data like that provided by iConverter is important.

In a statement made by Frank Wiener, Vice President of Marketing for Cyan, the ability to provide uniform SLA performance reporting and customer portal services across heterogeneous networks through a range of industry-leading products was determined to be a key CyPortal attribute. Omnitron's iConverter GM4 was considered to be a very welcome addition to CyPortal's solution portfolio because the NID brought powerful new options for innovation and expansion of service providers' SLA assurance services

Known as a supplier of excellent fiber access products, Omnitron offers a number of critical services for Carrier Ethernet business services and mobile backhaul networks. Its iConverter GM4 provides comprehensive support for the IEEE 802.1ag and ITU-T Y.1731 standards, and is considered an industry leader when it comes to interoperability and monitoring SLA performance.