[Ben]

http://www.itweek.co.uk/itweek/news/2143006/bottlenecks-threaten-3g


Mobile operators' plans to expand the capacity of current 3G mobile data networks to accommodate more subscribers may come a cropper when bandwidth runs out in backhaul networks, experts have warned.

All five UK mobile operators are currently deploying, planning or evaluating High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) technology. They hope this will increase data speeds to around 1Mbit/s, with peak burst rates up to 14Mbit/s, and provide a means of supporting more users concurrently.

But expanding the capacity of 3G base stations is only one half of the battle, according to Ron Zor, chief executive of Celtro, a cellular transmission optimisation specialist and independent business unit of ECI Telecom.

Zor predicted that the operators' backhaul networks, some of which connect base stations using 2Mbit/s E1 leased lines, will collapse under the strain, resulting in lost signals and patchy performance for corporate users paying handsomely for 3G voice and data services.

"HSDPA will give operators the bandwidth they need at the air interface, but the bottleneck will be in the backhaul," Zor said. "Any operator that wants to offer 14Mbit/s will have to put huge pipes into the ground - that is too expensive and their timetables don't allow for it."

A report published in September by research firm Analysys suggests that the weight of additional mobile TV and video services traffic by 2007 could also create too much strain on 3G networks.

Report author Alastair Brydon wrote, "The capacity of a typical W-CDMA network could be exceeded by 2007 - for example, if 40 percent of 3G users take up mobile TV and video services and each consumes only eight minutes of video per day."

It's a very valid point IMHO - the backhaul of todays modern networks was created for voice. It's all very well having 14mbps over the air from a device to a mast, but then if there's only 2mbps, or a share of 2mbps, to go around for all users in the cell then there will obviously be trouble.

[Hands0n]

It is an astonishing situation to become apparent. Like no one thought ahead enough to realise that developments and improvements in the airspace would not need to be supported in the ground? Is nothing ever learned from history?

They'll have to start thinking along the lines of SDH rings and suchlike for the backhauls, if these can be constructed economically enough using the incumbent infrastructures. Surely the physical backhaul links (fibre, cable, microwave) could support 155Mbps or 622Mbps SDH? Although the deployment of any such upgrade to the backhaul would need to be scheduled into the incumbent schedules. Finances and manpower may not permit in a timely manner.

So, if the gloom and doom is accurate we can expect around 18 months before meltdown?

[3g-g]

It's definately a point that all the operators will have been considering, however I don't think they'll be that worried, and I only base my opinion on what I know about the industry first hand.

What you'd like ideally is to have an ISP up your sleeve, or be in the position of having access to major BT fibre backbones at local telephone exchanges (think, British Telecom, so also think O2 and Vodafone serving BT mobile)... with the LLU regulations coming into effect that means there'll be a lot of areas the operators will be able to have access to where they might not have had in the past... These guys: www.186k.co.uk supply the backbone for Three, I'm quite sure they'll be in the business of making sure there's enough capacity for whatever 3 decide to do. The only operator I don't know anything about WRT their backbone is T-Mob... I wonder what they're doing.. if anything!

IMO I think it's needless worrying TBH.

[Ben]

I think you're absolutely right about not needing to worry. I do, however, think that capacity issues on the backhaul could be responsible for our current high data prices.

What you say about LLU is very interesting... I'd not considered that the networks could just utilise connections from BT exchanges. Orange's increased convergence with Wanadoo must be helpful also!

Now, I wonder if 186k will run me a new broadband connection... ;)