Smartphones enabling smarter backhaul
Here at CBNL, we’ve been developing smart backhaul that exploits the statistical properties of mobile broadband traffic for over ten years now.
Because the backhaul requirements of node Bs or base stations in a modern network are 1) not constant and 2) not correlated, these demands can be statistically multiplexed together to make more efficient, more cost-effective backhaul.
We’ve written about this in more detail in our total cost of ownership and spectral efficiency white papers.
So as big believers in exploiting the detailed properties of data and devices, we got to wondering, is there a way we can take advantage of smartphones themselves to make backhaul simpler and more efficient?
This question is particularly pertinent as we consider the evolution of networks to small cells.
Operators estimate they will be deploying between three times and ten times as many small cell nodes as macro nodes in years to come.
That also means between three times and ten times as much backhaul equipment!
It’s obvious that we need faster and simpler installation and commissioning processes for both RAN and backhaul kit if we’re going to keep up with this growth.
Smartphones, as well as being the source of the data tsunami that is driving the move to small cells, are also a superb productivity tool.
So, starting today, we’re introducing an installation and commissioning app for the VectaStar Gigabit family of multipoint microwave backhaul equipment.
Much more powerful than a multimeter and far less cumbersome than a laptop, our app lets installers get new sites on the air quicker than ever before.
You can read more about it and download it here.