Convergent fixed/mobile operators should employ IP over MPLS, which will enable them to exploit their MPLS infrastructure. Pure mobile operators should adopt a native IP over carrier Ethernet solution because it has a lower cost per megabyte than MPLS and can be easily scaled.
Growth in the take-up of devices and technologies that offer an improved user experience, such as smartphones and tablets, and the introduction of LTE will increase the amount of data that customers consume. Operator strategies are now focused on enhancing capacity to meet this demand and reducing costs simultaneously. The deployment of IP backhaul is a vital part of this cost-reduction strategy.
This report reviews both MPLS and IP as backhaul solutions from the viewpoint of the converged (mobile and fixed) and pure (mobile-only) operator. We consider the impact of IP backhaul on: synchronisation; QoS management; security; operations, administration and maintenance (OAM); and traffic dimensioning rules. We also contrast and compare the technology architecture that four leading operators have chosen for their mobile backhaul solution.
Should mobile operators adopt IP over Ethernet or IP over MPLS? answers your key questions:
- How can operators effect a change without disrupting legacy services?
- Should operators use native IP or IP over MPLS?
- What are the challenges of synchronisation through an IP backhaul network?
- How does an all-IP approach affect QoS management, security and OAM?