New Gateway Enables 3G Backhaul Via DSL Lines

RAD Data Communications has released a gateway product which is capable of aggregating all 2G, 3G and HSDPA traffic from a cell site and efficiently transporting it over cost-effective DSL infrastructure. The LA-130 gateway employs pseudowire technology, which allows TDM (used for 2G backhaul) and ATM (used for 3G backhaul) traffic to be carried over packet switched networks, such as Metro Ethernet or DSL infrastructure.

"Backhaul typically accounts for up to 30% of mobile operators' OPEX today and with traffic set to rise exponentially as new, bandwidth hungry technologies, such as HSPA, are introduced, mobile service providers are desperate for innovative solutions that will lower costs," said Asaf Wachtel, Product Line Manager at RAD Data Communications. "The widespread availability and low cost of DSL has made it the clear choice for mobile operators looking to both ramp up traffic and reduce OPEX and CAPEX. The LA-130 is already being deployed by several major European carriers for these very reasons."

The LA-130 provides DSL bonding over up to four SHDSL lines to ensure that the transport network can support the high data rates provided by the latest mobile broadband radio standards.

A risk commonly associated with using IP transport in cellular networks is that it cannot provide the necessary time synchronization to maintain service quality for delay sensitive applications such as voice. To ensure that backhaul over DSL is an accurate and dependable solution, RAD says that it has developed and incorporated into the LA-130 advanced clock recovery mechanisms. RAD's clock recovery algorithms reconstruct TDM timing and achieve the desired timing accuracy in the presence of packet delay variation and packet loss.

Posted to the site on 5th September 2007