Mobile Backhaul Testing
The exploding number of wireless customers using data-intensive smart phones poses a significant challenge for wireless providers. Legacy time-division multiplexing (TDM) circuits that connect base stations to regional network controllers are now overloaded. Meeting the additional demand by provisioning more TDM circuits is cost-prohibitive, motivating providers to implement Carrier Ethernet solutions designed to transport wireless data-intensive traffic over mobile backhaul.
Moving to Carrier Ethernet transport from TDM transport requires significant technology additions to traditional Ethernet deployments. Ethernet wasn’t designed with ultra-high reliability, voice quality, and accurate timing in mind – a mainstay of TDM circuits. However, recent additions to the Ethernet standard allow it to match TDM features. For example, a TDM level of reliability can be attained using Ethernet operation, administration and maintenance (OAM ) protocols and failover techniques. Also, voice and video quality can be obtained by using quality of service (QoS) methods and monitoring key parameters.
Ixia accelerates Ethernet-based mobile backhaul adoption and migration by providing a comprehensive testing solution that emulates link OAM and service OAM protocols. With Ixia systems, service providers and network equipment providers (NEMs) can test both IEEE 1588v2 and ITU-T Sync-E Ethernet synchronization protocols, Carrier Ethernet data plane capacity, QoS handling algorithms, and maintenance and fault handling recovery.
Ixia evaluates your mobile backhaul and answers such critical questions as:
- Is my Carrier Ethernet network capable of supporting voice, video, and data traffic?
- Do my link and service OAM implementations allow full monitoring of my network?
- How can I test my Ethernet services using the ITU-T Y.1564 Ethernet service activation measurement methodology?
- How can I test to MEF 9, 14, 21, and UNI-2 certification standards?
- How can I guarantee that my mobile backhaul migration follows the MEF 22 Mobile Backhaul Implementation Agreement?
- How will my network handle clock synchronization and clock recovery?
- Can my network handle IEEE 1588v2 and Synchronous Ethernet?
- If 1588v2 is used, how many slaves can the master support?
- How many subscribers can I support at high quality?
Ixia provides the industry's most complete test solution by covering performance, conformance, and scalability testing for your mobile backhaul network.