Infonetics: IP/Ethernet backhaul is an evolution, not a revolution

Ongoing deployments of Long Term Evolution (LTE), the installation of IP and Ethernet-based base stations and increased HSPA+ rollouts, are helping to fuel healthy growth of the IP/Ethernet mobile backhaul market. According to its recent report IP/Ethernet in Mobile Backhaul Networks: Global Service Provider Survey [1], Infonetics revealed that service provider investments in wireless backhaul infrastructure rose 19 percent in 2008 to $4.6 billion worldwide. By 2013, wireless backhaul spending will approach the $11 billion mark with the increased adoption of mobile Internet services.

However, migrating to next-gen IP and Ethernet-based wireless backhaul won't come without a challenge. Carriers that responded to Infonetics' survey cited that timing/synchronization is one of the many issues they are facing in making the transition to Ethernet and IP-based backhaul. At issue is the perception that emerging packet synchronization techniques can't properly support traditional 2G/3G voice traffic. To resolve this, some operators are opting for a dual or hybrid network architecture.

For more:
- here's the Infonetics press release [2]

Related article
Report: Mobile backhaul equipment market taking off [3]