Introduction

A number of mobile operators in emerging markets have deployed

satellite backhaul solutions for their rural or hard-to-reach areas. This

is done to bridge the digital divide and sometimes to fulfil Universal

Service Obligations (USO). But, recently, the scope for these services has

also expanded to industrialized countries for USO, mobile broadband,

emergency response or urban offload use-cases.

2G voice is still predominant and often constitutes the main revenue

source in emerging markets, but consumers’ mobile usage habits are

changing drastically, and where the network permits, they have gone

from voice-centric to increasingly 3G/4G data-oriented (including video)

services. Meanwhile, the majority of industrialized countries are focusing

on 4G.

While satellite backhaul provides reliability and quick service roll-out, it also

brings increased latency and operational costs which must be mitigated

with the right solutions. Mobile operators have Quality of Service (QoS)

and Quality of Experience (QoE) requirements which demand the best

optimization and efficiency performances.

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SATELLITE MOBILE BACKHAUL: FROM VOICE TO DOMINANT DATA

Application Note Satellite Mobile Backhaul

Rev.4 03/2018

Application Note Satellite Mobile Backhaul

If significant optimization has been achieved on the forward

satellite channel, the return channel has been somehow

overlooked. Here, for a long time, the industry has been

entangled in the choice between SCPC and TDMA technology.

SCPC provides efficient and dedicated capacity with lower

jitter (ideal for 2G voice) but can be expensive for low traffic

requirements. TDMA allows the bandwidth to be shared

between the base stations and maximizes usage, but it cannot

guarantee that voice calls will not be dropped during peak

traffic conditions nor does it minimize the retransmission rate

for the data traffic.

On the other hand, mobile traffic patterns are evolving from

a symmetric voice centric to an asymmetric profile with

increasing data, and the infrastructure is getting even more

varied with the addition of small cells to the picture.

Mobile operators want to protect their voice traffic under any

circumstances and do not want to be in a situation where there

is not sufficient provision to guarantee it.

They also want to reduce their OPEX and ensure that a

sound utilization of capacity is performed since newer types of

data traffic are bandwidth hungry. Both SCPC with its service

guarantee and efficiency, and TDMA with its flexibility could

help, but they would have to operate almost simultaneously!

Newtec Dialog® can leverage both these technologies

depending on traffic conditions as well as provide the

revolutionary Mx-DMA® technology. Mx-DMA combines

the benefits of SCPC and TDMA, ensuring that all the

traffic is accommodated at each remote base station while

multiplexing the bandwidth very efficiently between these

remotes to decrease the backhaul operating costs.

With the advent of this game changer, the technology for

satellite backhaul has to be repositioned for maximized

efficiency. SCPC is then focused on very high speed services,

with MF-TDMA providing the lower end while Mx-DMA covers

the largest range of dynamic services.

Technology Disruption

Mx-DMA®

MF-TDMA4CPM

SCPCDVB-S2X

1:1

OV

ERB

OO

KIN

GB

ITR

ATE

S

>100:1

400 Mbps

1 kbps

SCPC DVB-S2X

+ High efficiency

+ Very high throughput

- Fixed capacity channel

Mx-DMA HRC®

+ High efficiency

+ High throughput

+ Statistical multiplexing

MF-TDMA 4CPM

+ High sharing

+ No resources without traffic

- Lower efficiency

Trunking

Lower rate point-to-point

Cellular backhauling

Macro & small cells

Cellular backhauling

Small cells & Femto cells

Quality of Service

Mobile operators usually assign a higher priority to voice

and signaling compared to data. However, the ability to

differentiate traffic, manage the peak requirements and

get a service level commitment is equally important in newer

backhaul solutions where data occupies a substantial share of

the overall service.

The dynamic reactivity of Mx-DMA is based on a seamless

and continuous adjustment of the whole carrier plan to

adapt to the network conditions and ensure that the highest

Quality of Service (QoS) is available at all mobile base stations

with the lowest jitter and delay. Therefore, any mobile traffic

is guaranteed to get the best service at any time.

Additionally, Mx-DMA implements a smart management

of link margins which is particularly useful with High

Throughput Satellites that typically leverage Ku- or Ka-bands

which are more sensitive to rain fade. Furthermore, Mx-DMA

guarantees maximum throughput while constantly adapting

to the rain effect.

Application Note Satellite Mobile Backhaul

3

Newer backhaul solutions also have to be extremely flexible

and must be able to serve all mobile technologies (2G,

3G, 4G, small cells), applications (voice, data, signaling),

architectures (point-to-multipoint, point-to-point, trunking)

and satellite services.

For example, bursty and lower traffic volumes which can be

expected in rural small cells can be conveyed through the

appropriate MF-TDMA technology. Increasing volumes with

video shall leverage the disruptive Mx-DMA while trunking

to international gateways or point-to-point applications for

dedicated voice can utilize SCPC. Newer networks are also

looking at aggregating the traffic of thousands of small cells,

making scalability key!

On the other hand, efficiency cannot be left aside and satellite

bandwidth must be spared. The Newtec Dialog platform

encompasses the advanced Mx-DMA, FlexACM® and Clean

Channel Technology® efficiency features and performances

for lower operating costs without the introduction of any

additional jitter.

Newtec Solutions: Efficient, Scalable and Flexible

Application Note Satellite Mobile Backhaul

HIGH SPEED POINT-TO-POINT

4G ENB

Mx-DMAHRC

Mx-DMAHRC

S2 EXTENSIONSSCPC

Mx-DMAHRC

MF-TDMA4CPM

MDM3310IP MODEM

MDM3310IP MODEM

MDM5010IP MODEM

MDM2210IP MODEM

MDM6000SATELLITE MODEM

2G BTS SMALL CELLS FEMTO CELLS

3G NODEB

RFGATEWAY

NEWTEC DIALOG OR HUB6000

MOBILE CORE

DVB-S2X (WITH CLEAN CHANNEL TECHNOLOGY)

MDM6000 Connected to HUB6000 using shared forward

4

Different bandwidth optimization solutions also need to be

integrated in backhaul deployments to increase efficiency

and service offering. For 2G E1, Abis optimization removes

unnecessary information and gains additional capacity.

Bandwidth cancellation helps reducing the OPEX but only

for point-to-point configurations, while for 2G IP and 3G

IUB, advanced compression techniques subsequently

reduce the bandwidth requirements. For 4G, acceleration,

compression, caching and traffic shaping help enhance the

user experience, which becomes key as the traffic becomes

more data/video centric.

Newtec works with trusted partners and leverages its award

winning software solution for acceleration and shaping.

Bandwidth Optimization: Reduce OPEX and Enhance User Experience

Application Note Satellite Mobile Backhaul

2G Backhauling with Abis Optimization/Pseudowire

Backhauling with embedded S1 Optimization/Acceleration Small cells backhauling with IUH/S1 Optimization/

Acceleration/Caching and Security Credentials Management

Backhauling with embedded iub optimization

5

Application Note Satellite Mobile Backhaul

Early satellite backhaul deployments were focused on voice only, but the landscape has radically changed since then.

Newer habits and newer mobile technologies and devices are driving towards solutions which have to be the best in

efficiency, scalability and flexibility. 5G will provide even higher speeds and more services in a Cloud environment and

with demanding QoS. Mobile operators have to invest in solutions which can best serve them today and are also geared

towards their fast evolving environment!

Conclusion

ABIS

IUB

IU-PS (USER PLANE)

IUH

S1-U (USER PLANE)

PSTN

INTERNET

INTERNET

BSCBTS

NODEB

EHSPA

3G SMALL CELLS /FEMTO CELLS

ENB/LTE

MEDIA GATEWAY/

MSC 

GGSN

P-GW

SGSN

S-GW

MEDIA GATEWAY/

MSC 

RNC

HOMEGATEWAY

3G

3G

3G

4G

The mobile infrastructure is driven by the standards defined

by the 3GPP organization. It typically leverages different

types of interfaces for the different technologies. These

interfaces can also have different variants (TDM/IP) and

protocols (Abis/iub/iu-ps/iuh/S1). The satellite solution can

operate at the access (e.g. Abis), between the BSC and MSC

or even for trunking (e.g. between the media gateways).

Typical Deployment

2G

IU-CS TO MSC/MG

IU-PS

6

Application Note Satellite Mobile Backhaul

7

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China

NewtecAsia-Pacific

NewtecMENA

NewtecEurope

NewtecSouth America

Europe North America South America Asia-Pacific China MENA

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SHAPING THE FUTURE OF SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS

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