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Advantages of full-packet long-haul microwave

by Paolo Volpato

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Full-packet long-haul microwave architecture can make business sense, reducing cost while improving
performance. Market factors to consider include:

Mobile backhaul - Transition to packet in mobile backhaul is underway. The shift to packet in transport

and aggregation networks, where long-haul systems are usually deployed, is the only option that can
meet LTE bandwidth needs today and prepare networks for LTE-Advanced tomorrow.

Fixed aggregation - Providers need to supply bandwidth-hungry residential services. And they need to

solve the bottlenecks created by new, high-speed access technologies, such as vectoring, in areas

where long-haul microwave connectivity is employed instead of fiber.

Efficient transition - Packet technologies support a seamless transition from the existing legacy world

to the coming all-packet world less expensively than hybrid technologies. They enable TDM traffic

through more efficient packet-oriented solutions, as in the case of service emulation.

Advantages relative to fiber - Compared to fiber, microwave offers:

Faster time to market. Sometimes burdensome civil works or permissions interfere with new fiber
projects.

Lower cost. Microwave deployment costs tend to be flat regardless of the link distance, and are less
impacted by recurring fees associated with the carried capacity.

Greater flexibility. Traffic changes can be accommodated through a simple spectrum reallocation.
 WHAT IS A FULL-PACKET LONG-HAUL
MICROWAVE SYSTEM?

Technical characteristics of a full-packet long-haul microwave system include:

Service convergence - In all packet microwave platforms, Ethernet is used as the sole transport

technology to carry all services. Legacy services are translated and adapted to Ethernet -- e.g.,

through service emulation -- and applications specific SLAs are enforced.

Capacity scale - Full-packet long-haul microwave systems combine best-in-class packet mechanisms

such as packet compression and multichannel transmission with best-in-class RF mechanisms like high
modulation, high system gain, and strong modem signature. In particular, multichannel operation leads

to new operational modes that increase capacity scale and availability.

Operational efficiency - Multichannel-based models simplify capacity provisioning, changing the way

link design is done. In “old-style” design, the number of T1/E1 or OC3/STM-1 circuits that need to be

carried over the air is considered. Multichannel-enabled new-style design is based on the requested

throughput expressed in Mbps. The resulting simplified system architecture reduces total cost of

ownership.

ADVANTAGES OF A MULTICHANNEL
APPROACH

The multi-channel approach allows the system to handle the bundle of radio links as a single big pipe
whose capacity is the sum of all of the single links capacities. The overall capacity can be flexibly assigned
to any services based on specific SLAs or operator defined rules.

A few elements characterize the multichannel architecture:

The bundle can be formed by any number of links. Usual deployments include 4 links (N = 4), while

complex installations can reach 8-10 links (N = 8, 10).

No spare channels are needed, thus the name N+0 (the trailing 0 means no reserved protection

channels are allocated). This lets operators move away from legacy N+1 implementation, where at

least 1 channel is statically reserved for protection, increasing TCO and reducing flexibility.

There are no restrictions on the frequency band, channel width, or RF mechanisms employed. Any mix

of them is allowed. For example a 4+0 application may use 2 14MHz channels in a frequency band and
other 2 28MHz channels operating in another frequency band.
 The multichannel engine knows the actual status of the bundle. And the services entering the engine

receive proper handling based on their relative priority or SLA.

Services gets distributed over the link bundle and rebuilt at the receiving end without performance

degradation nor delay.

The distribution of services across the bundle is the key to raise the overall availability.

In N+0 multichannel, a service (e.g., an STM-1) is no longer associated to a specific link, but it is simply
spread on the bundle. In legacy N+1 applications if the link carrying that STM-1 had an issue, e.g., a
modulation decrease, the service was lost. In N+0 if one of the links experiences an issue and decreases
its offered capacity, services gets redistributed over the remaining links in real time. The total capacity of
the bundle decreases but high-priority services are unaffected and best effort traffic only is discarded.

EUROPEAN OPERATOR USE CASE

A convergent fixed and mobile European operator wanted to upgrade an existing 2+1 link over the
Mediterranean Sea into a 4+0 multichannel system to carry more capacity. Being a 65 km long link over
the sea, multipath fading effect is present. The operator request included:

removal of empty SDH VC-12 containers to free more capacity over the air (utilization of channelized

STM-1 interfaces)

enabling of adaptive modulation up to 1024QAM

use of a 4+0 multichannel bundle

Post-upgrade system improvements are shown in Figure 2.

The graph shows 2 of the 4 channels (for each channel both the “go” and “return” directions are
represented). The Y-axis represents the probability that any of the channels reaches maximum
modulation -- i.e., maximum capacity.

At maximum modulation, each bar achieves a probability value very close to 1x100. In other words, every
channel works for almost 100% of the time at 1024QAM – a meaningful outcome considering that it is a
long link over the sea with strong multi-path effect.

For very short periods the 4 channels decrease their modulation, but the probability of this happening is
very low. In some cases, the channel quality is so good that they never go below a certain modulation
scheme. For example, the yellow and red bars never decrease below 256QAM and 64QAM respectively.

The overall system performance is in line with a pre-deployment predictive analysis done by Alcatel-
Lucent, as shown in Figure 3.

The analysis correlated capacity and availability for different legacy N+1 and multichannel N+0
configurations. X-axis capacity is expressed in Mbps while Y-axis availability is expressed as the
probability of achieving the corresponding capacity.

The analysis shows the performance improvement of moving from legacy N+1 models to multichannel
N+0 ones, increasing the channels in a bundle.

The yellow stars represent the working conditions of legacy N+1 systems, corresponding to fixed states
where capacity and availability are statically determined. For example, the previously installed 2+1
system could provide an availability value of around 1x10-5 and a throughput figure of around 300 Mbps.
Results of improving that system to 3+1 or even 4+1 are shown along the dashed yellow line.

The behavior of a multichannel system depends upon a contiguous set of possible states, given by the
combination of all the possible working conditions of the bundle. As such, the behavior of a multichannel
system is represented by an entire curve. The green curve, corresponding to a multichannel 2+0 system,
can easily scale to higher capacity than a legacy 2+1 configuration -- or achieve higher availability. 3+0
and 4+0 configurations are represented by the red and blue curves.

The 4+0 configuration differs significantly from a legacy 4+1 system. Higher capacity, in the order of 700
Mbps, is achieved at the same availability level. That is around 100 Mbps more than legacy 4+1. At 600
Mbps (nominal capacity), higher availability is achieved, moving from around 3x10-4 to 1x10-5.

THE ALCATEL-LUCENT SOLUTION

Alcatel-Lucent launched its 9500 Microwave Packet Radio long-haul version more than a year ago. Since
that time, it has fulfilled market expectations:

The most scalable system in the long-haul segment

Field-proven throughput of up to 10 Gbps – unmatched on the market – with its multichannel engine

Strong RF capabilities to counter fading effects

Allows accurate pre-deployment prediction of system behavior

RELATED material

Packet longhaul deployment – The experience one year later slides on SlideShare Alcatel-Lucent 9500
Microwave Packet Radio product page

To contact the author or request additional information, please send an email to

networks.nokia_news@nokia.com.
 About Paolo Volpato Article Tags

Paolo has been a Product Strategy Mobile Anyhaul Transport

Manager at Alcatel-Lucent since 2008. Microwave Anyhaul Transport 5G

In this role, he deals with evolution

strategy and positioning for Alcatel-

Lucent microwave products. Prior to

joining Alcatel-Lucent, Paolo worked

for Wind, Infostrada and Italtel. Paolo

has a degree in Electronic Engineering

from the Polytechnic of Milan and a

masters degree in Marketing and

Communications. He is currently

involved in Next Generation Mobile

Networks (NGMN ). Under the

framework of the LTE backhauling

workgroup, he co-edited two

technical papers (“LTE backhauling

architectures” and “LTE backhaul

security”). At present he contributes

to the design of backhaul and

fronthaul architectures for Hetnets

and LTE-Advanced.

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