Mobile Backhaul

10.1 Creating a Packet Based MBH Solution

Finding the most suitable MBH solution for each mobile network and for all its coverage area is a multidimensional optimization task. When going over to packet based solutions, optimization of the MBH network needs to be considered from many different view points, including:

• economic optimization (investments and their timing, network opex, cash flow etc);
• technical optimization (enough capacity, proper QoS, reliability and security etc);
• optimization for a particular operator (goals and strategy, resources, cost structure etc), or for a shared use of two or more operators;
• optimization for a certain region (infrastructure, cost level, outsourcing options etc);
• optimization for flexibility (network plans or service targets or other goals change);
• project optimization (practicality of plans, implementation, time tables etc).

The best or the most practical MBH solution is hardly ever exactly the same for any two cases when all the differences in the starting points and goals are taken into account. In different environments (e.g. dense urban vs. rural, or ample existing transport infrastructure vs. no infrastructure at all) quite different MBH solutions are needed. Optimal solutions are also clearly quite different for very different mobile networks and different traffic volumes or profiles (e.g. 2G+3G or advanced 3G or 3G+ LTE).

However, in similar environments and in similar mobile network development phases optimal MBH solutions have ...