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Jan. 16, 2008

T-Mobile, a Deutsche Telekom subsidiary is preparing its HSDPA backhaul infrastructure for the latest generation of mobile data services.

T-Mobile is deploying gateways from RAD Data Communications and said this pilot test program is the first of a two-part project in offering HSDPA services to its subscribers.

T-Mobile has now concluded the first part of its pilot test in Germany and is now in an expansion mode with RAD's ACE-3000 gateways.

RAD's solution offers T-Mobile the option to connect HSDPA-enabled Node Bs (3-G base stations) via low-cost ADS L2+ lines and make use of services from its sister company T-Com.

However, for UMTS and HSDPA backhaul, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project has identified ATM as the standard technology for the time being.

On average, Ethernet-enabled mobile equipment is only gradually being introduced as a platform for packet-switched transport infrastructures.

That would explain why Node B manufacturers still only supply their equipment with E-1 interfaces, and not the Ethernet interfaces that they would need to connect to DSL lines.

Some wireless industry observers think the same goes for radio network controllers (RNCs), which still feature STM-1 interfaces and, therefore, remain ATM devices.

Adolf Nadrowski, v.p. of T-Mobile Germany's RAN division said "on any given day, HSDPA needs a lot more bandwidth. T-Mobile wanted an economical solution to expand what are known as the mobile backhaul links between base stations and radio network controllers."

Nadrowski added that "it made sense to do without expensive E-1 leased lines and, instead, access a very well-developed DSLAM infrastructure and T-Com's transport networks and buy DSL backhaul as a service."

By doing so, T-Mobile enables backhaul resources to be allocated at low cost, and better facilitates delivery of the latest 3-G services.

To supply ATM services and to make it possible to emulate them over packet-switched services (Ethernet/MPLS/IP), the RAD gateways employ ATM PWE-3 (pseudowire emulation edge-to-edge).

This technology uses pseudo-wire technology between Node Bs and RNCs to emulate ATM tunnels through Ethernet networks.

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Source: Wireless Week

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