PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR MOBILE BACKHAUL HOW TO EFFICIENTLY SOLVE THE NEW MOBILE BACKHAUL CHALLENGES BROUGHT BY METRO CELLS: DENSITY, QUALITY OF SERVICE AND ECONOMICSAppLICATION NOTE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Mobile backhaul challenges with metro cells / 1

Diversity of technologies / 1

Deliver the most cost-effective solution with design and optimization services / 3

Optimizing the TCO for metro cell backhaul with expert analysis / 3

Achieving the best mobile backhaul network design for metro cells / 4

Quality of service analysis for each deployment / 5

Conclusion / 6

Acronyms / 6

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The introduction of metro cells helps mobile network operators address growing traffic demands, but this move also introduces new challenges. Alcatel-Lucent’s Professional Services experts for Mobile Backhaul can help operators address these challenges with the development of a mobile backhaul strategy and design approach focused on minimizing costs and maximizing profitability. Professional Services’ experts assist with all aspects of the planning, from technical design and topology choices, and investment planning, to overseeing the design and delivery of metro cell networks.

This paper discusses how Alcatel-Lucent Professional Services experts for Mobile Backhaul experts use industry-proven methodologies, Bell Labs innovations and tools sets to prepare mobile network operators to meet the metro cell backhaul challenge.

MOBILE BACKHAUL CHALLENgES wITH METRO CELLS Mobile network operators (MNOs) need to efficiently backhaul traffic to the core network minimizing costs as much as possible, as well as achieving backhaul scale, QoS and simplified operations. The attributes of metro cells — short radius (typically within 25 to 100 meters), diversity of cell site locations (street furniture, inside buildings, outside buildings), and density (5, 10 or even more times dense than macro layer) — introduce new constraints on RAN and mobile backhaul planning. The backhauling of metro cells also requires an understanding of the coverage and capacity objectives for 3G, 4G/LTE, and Wi-Fi® networks.

Mobile backhaul therefore becomes of strategic importance to the success of a metro cell mobile network deployment, and the final RAN and backhaul design will result in a trade-off between the backhaul constraints and effective metro cell planning to achieve an economically sustainable solution.

The viability of the metro cell backhaul business case requires a careful technical design and thorough financial analysis of the TCO to help guide the MNO toward the optimal path for evolution.

Diversity of technologiesThere are many technologies that can be used to backhaul metro cell traffic, including microwave technologies, fiber, Wi-Fi and bonded xDSL. ABI Research predicts that by 2017, metro cell backhaul will make use of all of these technologies (see Figure 1). One of the biggest challenges therefore is to find a consistent approach to deployment and ongoing operations and management, given the diversity of backhaul options.

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Figure 1. Global outdoor small cell backhaul by backhaul type usage; world markets forecast: 2017

The key is to find the right technology mix that will address the following requirements:

• Costs – Metro cells offer a good economical solution for growing RAN capacity compared with the use of macro cells only. The cost of backhauling metro cells also needs to be cost effective from both a capital and operational expense viewpoint to control TCO.

• Optimize for urban/ dense urban deployment – To improve street-level coverage and capacity, small cells are being deployed on lamp posts and utility poles. These new locations place new requirements on backhaul solutions. Operators must choose between Line-of-Sight (LOS), Near Line of Sight (nLoS) or Non Line of Sight (NLOS) installations. In urban streets, it can be a challenge to establish LOS to backhaul hub locations, making traditional point-to-point wireless backhaul ineffective.

• High-capacity metro cell site connectivity – Driven by increasing demand for mobile data and higher air interface efficiency, backhaul requirements for metro cells are expects to be on the increase in the next three years.

• Interference – The proximity of cell sites creates possible interference issues for the microwave/wireless backhaul systems. These interference issues are relatively new for backhaul systems and need to be carefully managed.

• QoS – The optimal architecture is a trade-off between the financial and technical constraints expressed above. However, it cannot be at the expense of the QoS, which needs to be preserved especially if metro cells are used to provide coverage or offer seamless mobile service mobility with macro cells. An end-to-end QoS analysis is mandatory to validate the architecture.

Satellite 0.10%

Fiber 23.5%

Copper 15.9%

Microwave LoS (6-38 GHz) 6.0%

LOS MMW (60-80 GHz) 14.0%

OFDM NLoS (sub 6 GHz) 29.0%

Wi-Fi (sub 6 GHz) 11.5%

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DELIVER THE MOST COST-EFFECTIVE SOLUTION wITH DESIgN AND OPTIMIzATION SERVICES Alcatel-Lucent’s Professional Services for Mobile Backhaul help operators design, optimize and transform their backhaul network to be metro-cell ready. The backhaul design process for metro cells includes the following steps:

• Optimizingthearchitecture’sTCO,basedonindustry-provenmethodologiesandtoolsets

• Devisingthebesttechnology—ortechnologymix—toenhanceperformance,makinguseof advanced technologies for combating interference and difficult propagation conditions.

• AnalyzingeachdeploymenttoensureQoSisoptimized

Optimizing the TCO for metro cell backhaul with expert analysisBackhaul is the largest OPEX challenge for metro cell deployments. The TCO analysis is therefore a critical step. The mobile backhaul architecture chosen is often a compromise between technological and financial constraints. For example, reusing copper infrastructure may be a cheap solution in the short term, but will necessitate a complete and costly renovation at some point in time. Conversely, deploying fiber represents a heavy invest-ment initially, but will continue to serve the network well into the future. Financial and technical analyses are always an essential element in backhaul planning, but the need is even greater with metro cells. Alcatel-Lucent’s CAPEX and OPEX modeling tool builds the business case and guides the operator in the decision process.

As shown in Figure 2, the CAPEX and OPEX analysis and comparison for various tech-nologies is an important step in the design process. Figure 2 shows a comparison of the TCO breakdown and evolution over time for several options including Packet Microwave and xDSL.

Figure 2. Comparing TCO over time for several backhaul options

.30

.20

.60

.40

.50

.10

Euro

0Generic cellsite -TDM microwave

Generic cellsite -Packet microwave

Generic cellsite -xDSL

CAPEX OPEX

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Achieving the best mobile backhaul network design for metro cellsAlcatel-Lucent’s design and optimization experts rely on a comprehensive and efficient tool set to devise the best technology mix for metro cell backhaul networks. Members of the Professional Services for Mobile Backhaul team perform enhanced performance analysis, including an assessment of how the operator can best avoid interference between metro cells.

Built on Bell Labs algorithms and Professional Services’ innovation expertise, Alcatel-Lucent design tools compare different topologies and scenarios so advisors can determine the best technology choices and approach for supporting metro cells. The detailed topology analysis is automated for networks of any size and all mobile backhaul technology options. The RAN is modeled in the design tool and metro cells added to that model for analysis. Embedded algorithms simulate the traffic growth and its impact on the backhaul network, yielding the most effective plan to support the growth of metro cells.

Figure 3 depicts the traffic forecast simulation generated by Alcatel-Lucent backhauling design tools. The color indicates the congestion status for each link from green (no congestion) to black (congestion).

Figure 3. Simulating the growth of mobile traffic to be backhauled

Figure 4 illustrates how the Alcatel-Lucent backhauling design tools can be used to perform a first LOS validation without a site visit. By providing a fast and efficient scenario comparison, the tools enable Professional Services experts to investigate many different options leading to an optimal design (see Figure 5).

Wi-Fi (sub 6 GHz) 11.5%

Wi-Fi (sub 6 GHz) 11.5%

Wi-Fi (sub 6 GHz) 11.5%

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Figure 4. Line of sight illustration shown by Alcatel-Lucent backhaul design tools

Figure 5. Before and after reconfiguration of the network shown with Alcatel-Lucent’s backhaul design tools

Quality of service analysis for each deploymentA QoS analysis is necessary to validate the network design. Using Alcatel-Lucent’s industry-proven analytical models, Professional Services experts perform a comprehen-sive analysis of the performance of the end-to-end backhaul network that will support metro cell deployment. This includes performance on all links and a mix of traffic profiles allowing advisors to model the network and QoS behavior. Detailed reporting on key metrics includes average packet delay, jitter, and packet loss statistics across the network. To assure optimum network availability, weak links are identified by testing path availability for different scenarios.

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Figure 6 illustrates the QoS and availability analysis results for a 3G metro cell network. Analysis for 4G/LTE networks are also supported.

Figure 6. End-to-end QoS and availability analysis

CONCLUSIONWhen it comes to metro cells, the right mobile backhaul strategy and design is essential to minimize costs as well as achieve reliability, scale, QoS, and operational efficiency. Alcatel-Lucent’s Professional Services for Mobile Backhaul can assist MNOs to make the best choices, both in terms of technology and topology. Working closely with the operator, Professional Services’ experts can help operators design and deliver an optimized metro cell network.

Alcatel-Lucent’s field-tested methodologies help speed time to market and simplify the transformation of the metro cell mobile backhaul network, identifying the best technology mix to address short and mid-term requirements. Professional Services address all of the planning aspects including market study, traffic assessment and forecast, design and optimization. Expert analysis includes a customized multi-year business case and projected return on investment, showing how a CAPEX investment can bring significant OPEX saving over a multi-year period.

With a global expertise in over 150 mobile backhaul transformations, combined with industry-leading innovations, tools and methodologies Alcatel-Lucent’s Professional Services for Mobile Backhaul can help mobile network operators meet the metro cell backhaul challenge.

ACRONyMSLOS line of sight

LTE long term evolution

MMW millimeter microwave

MNO mobile network operator

nLOS near line of sight

NLOS non line of sight

OFDM Orthogonal Frequency Division

Multiplexing

QoS quality of service

RAN radio access network

TCO total cost of ownership