Transport Technologies for Wireless Backbone Networks

Third-generation (3G) wireless networks provide for both increased circuit-switched voice capacity and high-speed packet data capabilities which promise greater access to rich multimedia content delivered to handheld or mobile devices. New data-centric high-bandwidth services will evolve the backbone to a data/Ethernet-dominated network. With such an evolution, the problem facing wireless service providers is how to leverage and evolve the existing SONET/SDH infrastructure to transmit Ethernet, as well as deliver legacy and next generation services in the metro backbone network. In this paper, we compare two evolution alternatives based on different choices of technology, namely Ethernet over SONET (EoS) and IP over MPLS over SONET (IPoMPLSoS). The comparisons cover network architecture, design, QoS, reliability and financial analysis. The paper also presents a case study based on a typical service provider offering CDMA 3G 1X services. We present two cases: one for a Greenfield operator deploying the metro core, and the other for an existing operator upgrading the core to carry Ethernet or MPLS traffic. Key insights and a summary of the study results are included as well