Solve the Wireless Backhaul Challenge

8/14/2019 Solve the Wireless Backhaul Challenge

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Wireless Transport Network Optimization:

Solving the 4G Backhaul Challenge

This document is confidential and is intended solely for the use and

information of the client to whom it is addressed.


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2This document is proprietary and is i ntended solely for the use and information of the client to whom it is addressed. CFN Services

Solving the 4G Backhaul Challenge

Clearly 4G requires more fiber and microwave in the backhaul network But how much, and how much of each? Where and how do I get it cost effectively? ILECs, CLECs, MSOs, AAVs? When and how much do I deploy? Do I deploy as TDM or Ethernet?

The answer of course depends on your particular situation How much bandwidth do I need today, next year, in 5 years? Am I migrating an existing network or building out greenfield? Do I have voice traffic considerations or is this purely broadband data? Am I deploying high density urban sites or lower density in rural markets?


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4G Backhaul Rules of Thumb

The higher your bandwidth requirements the more fiber youll need A 90% microwave architecture can safely support 50-100Mbs per site today Increasing the ratio of fiber hubs will support increased capacities per site At 50% microwave; 50% fiber capacities can grow to 200Mbs+ per site

Planning the RAN and Backhaul together reduces lifecycle costs Planning the RAN sites with a view towards fiber availability is critical Failure to plan appropriately leads to high fiber and thus backhaul costs This holds true equally for incumbent and green-field providers

You can add more fiber to the Backhaul diet as the bandwidth grows Ethernet is cheaper but packet over SONET (TDM) offers a smoother

transition for existing networks with voice traffic migrating to 4G

Rural deployments are more costly than urban environments


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Fiber Access for 4G Backhaul - Where Do I Get It?

ILECs and MSOs are aggressively building out the fiber infrastructure Verizon (ILEC) will have fiber to 80%+ of all sites in region by 2012 AT&T (ILEC) has fiber deployed or planned to most high capacity sites Time Warner, Comcast, COX, and other MSOs are adding cell sites to their

existing (typically Ethernet) fiber networks

These alternatives will offer broad coverage, but uncertain lifecycle costs CLECs, Utilities, and other Alternative Access Vendors

Over 200 non-ILEC/MSO fiber operators nationwide, over 500 when youcount municipal fiber deployments

More limited fiber footprint than incumbents but better economics Better opportunity to leverage owners economics via dark fiber and/or

shared build outs, thus providing more predictable lifecycle costs


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Plan the RAN with a view toward fiber access for backhaul

CFN Services FiberSource Deployment Planning Platform


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Initial RAN design with fiber hub sites pre-selected



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enables broad-based 4G coverage and lower lifecycle costs



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4G World Conference

Mobile Backhaul Summit Panel Discussion

Mike Dodson

Utopian Wireless

September 15th

, 2009


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Substantial 2.5 GHz Spectrum Portfolio

License areas reach over 7.4 million people in 22 states. Focused on bringing WiMax mobile broadband services to rural, remote, andsuburban markets.


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WiMax as the Technology Choice

True mobile internet, available TODAY with the momentum and developing ecosystemnecessary to deliver high value products and solutions for our customers.

RAN and Backhaul Considerations

Native Ethernet is the desired backhaul choice. Must achieve owners economics to make business cases work. Wireless backhaul, ring vs. hub architectures. RAN designed to deliver targeted services and data rates over the designated footprint. Sites selected not just on best RAN coverage, but also to satisfy backhaul needs.

IP Core Considerations

Central vs distributed traffic aggregation, internet handoff. Quality of Service tradeoffs. Security, harmful content management considerations.

Vendor & Services Partners

No time or funds available to re-invent the wheel. Partners who can scale as required to achieve rural, remote, and suburban market business

objectives are critical to success.

Utopians Approach to Market Planning


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Suburban Markets

Roughly 80k pops and greater, higher population density supports a more efficient network Significant spectrum depth Competitive fixed and wireless incumbent providers Attractive demographics, strong demand for wireless broadband services Highly mobile usage

Rural & Remote Markets Limited or no broadband service (fixed or wireless) Sparse population Social and economic need for broadband services Fixed and nomadic usage over mobility

Challenges in both cases

Time to market Minimize capital and operating expenses Bandwidth is the commodity

Utopians Broadband Landscape


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Wireless Backhaul

Delivers scalable bandwidth with owners economics. Many options in terms of vendors, path length, capacity, licensed vs unlicensed, etc. Licensing, site entitlements add time and cost to the deployment. Good RAN sites wont all be good microwave sites; microwave backhaul will drive higher candidate

site fallout as compared to traditional wired backhaul.

Traditional Leased Services

T-1s are commonly available from the LEC, even in underserved areas. CLEC and Cable MSO native ethernet services may be great for on-net sites. Special construction adds time, cost, and overall risk to the deployment. Bandwidth for leased TDM or Lit Fiber services are pay by the drink; as bandwidth needs

increase, so do operating costs.

Dark Fiber

Great for on net sites and establishing fixed cost for nearly unlimited bandwidth. Limited availability, higher cost, and rural market bandwidth long term needs likely rules out dark

fiber to the site as a viable backhaul solution.

Backhaul Challenges


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Source the Fiber First

Successful deployment requires a pool of on-net locations suitable for microwave hubs. Dark fiber always the preference, provided the market (or groups of markets) can make

the economics work.

Lit services or even TDM hubs can be viable, so long as the economics support thebusiness case and time to market advantage offsets higher operating costs.

IP Core Design Approach

Hybrid centralized / distributed architecture Nodes selected based on access to fiber providers and the internet

In-Market Microwave Backhaul

Hub and spoke vs ring architecture choice depends on the market. Hub & spoke OK for smaller markets where the number of spokes are few. For larger markets, ring offers many more choices for fiber aggregation points, more tolerant of site

candidate fallout, and higher reliability.

Solutions & How to Get There


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Rural Broadband Stimulus Funding Opportunity

Federal Governments Broadband Stimulus Funding Program administered by RUS andNTIA aims to deliver broadband services to unserved and underserved areas across the

US.

Utopian Wireless developed a proprietary methodology for determining underservedareas in its licensed Geographic Service Areas (GSAs).

Utopian engaged its infrastructure vendor partner to collaborate in the development ofRAN and Backhaul designs for each area as key elements of the application process.

Applications require project-specific details for complete end to end designs whichdemonstrate connectivity from the end user to the internet backbone.

The Challenge: Integrate Underserved Area Designs with the IP Core

CFN supported Utopians efforts via its in-house expertise and tools includingFiberSource.

From a list of over 140 target service areas, CFN was able to rapidly identify for each areathe fiber providers, on-net locations, mileage and cost.

This data enabled Utopian to develop preliminary end to end designs for each of the areaand produce very high quality funding applications fully compliant with the criteria set out

by the agencies.

CFN as a Key Services Partner


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4G WorldBackhaul Summit

Doug SmithChief Information Officer


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Company Highlights

2nd Largest WiMAX Operator in the US

Highly Capital Efficient Deployment Model

Deep Spectrum Position Averaging 114 MHz Across Footprint

Repeatable, Scalable Market Model

Focus on smaller, more rural markets in the US

Differentiated Product Offering

National Partnership with Rural Telcos and Electric Cooperatives


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Middle MileLow-cost, high-capacity backhaul Regional fiber capacity Municipally-supported transport networks Utility-owned fiber networks

First MileFlexible, low-cost back office Outsource/integrate:

Arise (customer care)Aria (billing) TNI (order mgmt)

Outsource overhead Scalable invest as you grow

Last MileNew WiMAX technology to reach

end customer

Underserved/exclusive markets Self-provisioned, fast install Portable personal broadband No one between DBC and

its customers

Small Business

Visitor-based networkSchools

MDUs

Military Housing

Single Family

HomesFiber or WirelessInternet Backhaul

NOC


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Backhaul Best Practices

DigitalBridge employs an array of backhaul solutions:- Fiber and microwave are most often deployed.

Cost-efficiency is a primary driver in the selection process. Reliability determines the ultimate network solution.


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Unique Challenges of Backhaul

Operators have to think differently about backhaul solutions in contextof 4G broadband delivery.

Rural markets present unique challenges and backhaul requirements:

High-capacity circuit backhaul solutions needed for 4G broadband delivery arenot always present.


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The Future of Backhaul

Backhaul technology is evolving

Wireless point-to-point solutions are improving. Fiber solutions continue to be enhanced. Other creative in-band solutions are being developed.


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LEAP WirelessDan Graf

4G World Mobile Backhaul Summit

Dan Graf

Leap Wireless


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Company Background

Leap Wireless provides innovative, high-value wireless services to afast-growing, young and ethnically diverse customer base through itssubsidiary, Cricket Communications, Inc.

Leap is primarily the companys financial brand, used mostly withinvestment and industry audiences, not consumers.

Leap is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the tickersymbol LEAP.

Leap is headquartered in San Diego, Calif. For more information, please visit www.leapwireless.com.

22 Confidential/Proprietary


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23Confidential/Proprietary

Cricket Communications, Inc.

Cricket Communications, Inc. is the operating subsidiary of LeapWireless.

Cricket is a simple, affordable, flat-rate wireless service offering unlimitedusage with no long-term commitments or credit checks.

Cricket offers customers access to a variety of the latest handsets andfeature-rich mobile applications such as popular games, ringtones,ringback tones and wallpapers.

Crickets phone service is available on a monthly pay-in-advance basis ordaily with Cricket PAYGo, a traditional prepaid service for consumers whowant unlimited services on a more flexible payment schedule.


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Cricket Communications, Inc.

Cricket also offers an unlimited wireless internet service, CricketBroadband.

Cricket is designed to make wireless communications simple, affordableand worry-free. Predictability, simplicity and value are the foundations ofour business.

Cricket owns and operates its own high-quality, all-digital CDMA2000 1Xand 1xEV-DO network that regularly ranks 1st or 2nd in overall marketquality from independent tests.

The company and its joint ventures now operate in 30 states and holdlicenses for 35 of the top 50 U.S. markets.


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Current Challenges in Planning for 4G

4G will require bandwidth that current TDM networks cannot provideeconomically.

How do we cost effectively build and maintain 3G and 4G networkssimultaneously.

How do we provide seamless transition between 3G and 4G networks. Competition for last mile backhaul including alternative providers and

technologies.

Some alternate technologies are new and may not be ready for primetime.


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Best Practices in Planning for 4G

Trials Feasibility testing of Ethernet and other technologies Integration of equipment with new technologies Training and knowledge base

Partnering with vendors on solutions and trials. Backhaul RFQ Whats available and where available.

Create a by market Playbook that includes a set of solutions.

Plan solutions based on whats available and geographical topologies.



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Future Challenges

How to manage current networks while migrating to 4G networks. Thinking IP and cost per bit. Maintain quality while reducing costs per MB. Reduce legacy TDM networks with least impact to customers. Overall challenge of migration to an all IP network.


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Solve the Wireless Backhaul Challenge