Mobile Backhaul

1.1 Why Read This Book

Several textbooks exist either on mobile networks or on (packet) networking, but separately, and they usually consider their subjects in isolation from each other. However, no mobile network exists without a related transport network connecting the elements; and also, mobile networks are becoming more and more important ‘customers’ for many kinds of packet networks.

Therefore this book is about considering these two domains together, and about looking at mobile network and backhaul network interactions, and how these two domains should take each other into account, particularly in the new era of (fully) packet-based transport solutions.

Mobile backhaul, as shown in Figure 1.1, is at the intersection of a mobile network and a transport network. Some aspects are more closely related to the radio network. Another area originates from the transport and networking side.

Figure 1.1 Mobile backhaul.

Usually mobile networks, radio interfaces, and other radio related topics are discussed within a circle of radio communication experts, without considering so much the other parts of the whole network. As an example, the 3GPP view of the transport connection between any two mobile network elements is a single, straight line. This very high level of abstraction serves focusing on the mobile network specific issues. However, when transport connections in real life are ...