12 l Q&A

Mobile Internet Supplement

Mobile Internet Supplement

Q&A l 13

Optimizing the backhaul

ofoad, what issues does all this raise from a network management perspective? Network management, and intelligence within the network, gives operators insights into how their networks perform. These systems must provide the means to monitor, assess and even allow subscribsubscrib ers to control their own service quality destiny. This poses a number of challenges for operators as they move outside their traditional comfort zone and into the realm of application performance reporting and end-to-end service level management, and service assurance. Lowering TCO is one thing, but monetization is also a big topic. How can a better RAN backback haul architecture translate into new revenue opportunities? A better RAN architecture lets the service propro vider offer multiple differentiated services, which in turn open up additional revenue opportunity. Video services, targeted advertising, collaboration, remote diagnostics, machine-to-machine monimoni toring and control there is an entire world of opportunity being unleashed as the internet goes mobile; and lets not forget, offering mobile access to the internet opens up new revenue opportunity for 5+ billion subscribers who couldnt access the xed internet.

By upgrading their RAN architecture, Alex Zinin, CTO of Ciscos Asia-Pacic service provider business, explains how mobile operators can offer multiple differentiated services, which open up additional revenue opportunities

Mobile Internet supplement: What are the challenges facing service providers with RAN backhaul apart from the obvious capacity issues? Alex Zinin: Faced with as much as 100 times the capacity demand, operators cannot afford a simple renovation of their RAN backhaul networks. So theyre back to the drawing board, to rearchitect a solution that will survive this growing onslaught of mass-market mobile internet demand, all the while keeping the current networks running. This requires a delicate balance for simultaneously operating any generation of multi-vendor radio, over any available transport media, for many serser vices what we refer to as backhaul unication. They also face a cultural challenge to step beyond their comfort zone, which was built from a point-to-point transport operating model. The mobile internet requires more interconnected multiservice networks. At the risk of over simplifying the challenges, operators need to sharply reduce power consumption per Mbps; re-design network for multi-service, multi-access, multi-path transport i.e. make better/broader use of backhaul real-esreal-es tate; and unify operations and management across any multi-vendor radio, over any media. Ciscos Alex Zinin in turn require new service monitoring and assurance tools, an intelligent network that can respond to and enforce differentiated service assurance, and new operating procedures, including new billing and subscription models. In addition, operators must look outside their traditional walled-garden eco-system, seeking partners to strengthen their services offerings. With operators looking at a variety of new services including video and cloud services as well as access strategies that include Wi-Fi

Operators are putting more emphasis on the customer experience as a benchmark of network performance what extra challenges does this create? First, they need to get their subscribers to recognize that the internet isnt free, and that all experiences/services arent created equally. This requires service differentiation and service assurance, which

IP and Carrier Ethernet are touted as a way to lower TCO for RAN backhaul, but not all solutions are created equal. How can service providers transform their RAN backhaul to get maximum efciencies and cost reductions? Precisely. This isnt a simple matter of throwthrow ing together some technology. Its about working with mobile internet architects to optimize the backhaul network solution. Fundamental changes in the RAN backhaul network design, moving from hub and spoke to a more fully meshed network design, provide far more optimal resource utilizautiliza tion and efciency gains in over-subscription while also increasing capacity and resiliency. Intelligent network elements can re-direct trafc through cost optimal routing paths. Weve even integrated key Carrier Ethernet service support into our new generation of ASICs, which results in an energyefcient Ethernet, further increasing capacity while reducing power consumption.

Service visibility and control whether for video, apps or cloud is another hot topic. What kind of capabilities are we looking at now, and what benets will they bring to service providers both in terms of customer experience and competitive advantages? The ability to have service visibility and control allows the service provider to customize the services, allowing operators to provide multiple service tiers that cater to the different customer market segments. For example, customizing services to provide priority for customers who want improved video streaming to mobile devices, premium data access or just a best effort for plain data access. The benet to the consumers would be a greater choice of service packages. O