Extreme Networks today announced a family of mobile backhaul routers that will enable mobile operators to smoothly transition cell sites to 4G while maintaining existing 2G/3G investments. The company’s E4G mobile backhaul family will provide the simplicity and scale of a next-generation, pure IP/Ethernet packet network to enable the cost-effective delivery of full motion video, voice and data to the one billion mobile broadband users expected by the end of 2011.
As the tide of mobile users, devices and multimedia continues to rise, mobile operators must increasingly invest in next generation mobile backhaul networks that ensure scalability, low latency, price-performance and operational simplicity. Extreme Networks’ new mobile backhaul routers will enable an all IP/Ethernet network that permits mobile operators to meet the performance and service expectations of an increasingly mobile enterprise and consumer subscriber base, as well as the cost requirements of the growing world of machine-to-machine (M2M).
“Motorola Solutions looks to advance the capabilities of microwave backhaul with Extreme Networks’ next-generation mobile backhaul routers,” said Phil Bolt, Vice President and General Manager, Wireless Network Solutions, Motorola Solutions. “The significant capacity and performance upgrades planned with its new mobile backhaul portfolio offer an opportunity for us to work with Extreme Networks to provide our customers with a flexible, resilient migration from circuit-based to IP networks.”
Extreme Networks’ E4G product family will include the E4G-200 Cell Site Router and E4G-400 Cell Site Aggregation Router that deliver 4G mobile backhaul by offering 1-10GbE scalability, integrated synchronous Ethernet ITU-G.8262, support for IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol, and carrier-class resiliency with support of Ethernet Automatic Protection Switching (EAPS) and ITU-G.8032 resilient packet rings.
Synchronous Ethernet can eliminate the cost of deploying GPS devices at every cell tower by providing predictable timing independent of packet load. IEEE-1588 provides an alternative based on the IP infrastructure, while Extreme Networks’ industry-leading resilient Ethernet packet ring technologies EAPS and G.8032 ensure carrier-grade resiliency. IPv4/v6 scalability and MPLS-TP enables mobile operators to effectively scale the network, deploy new services and accommodate the anticipated explosion of users and capacity.
With the early stages of next generation mobile broadband deployment now emerging, Infonetics reported that in 2011 mobile operators are adopting a strategy to converge mobile voice and data traffic on an all-IP/Ethernet backhaul network.
“As the transition to 4G networks takes place, addressing cell site scalability, synchronisation and Ethernet resiliency is critical,” said Michael Howard, Principal Analyst and co-founder for Infonetics Research. “Mobile transport and wholesale operators are looking to build networks for the next decade and want future-proof Ethernet backhaul options. With existing deployments in mobile backhaul networks, Extreme Networks’ E4G product family has the features to address the requirements of additional mobile operators.”
E4G-200 Cell Site Router
Extreme Networks’ E4G-200 Cell Site Router will offer high-performance T1/E1 Pseudowire (PWE) support for 2G and 3G backhaul along with full line-rate, standards-based Gigabit Ethernet access to the resilient synchronous Ethernet mobile backhaul network. 4G performance expectations will be met through a dual-processor implementation, while a rich set of features across the T1/E1 interfaces will enable concurrent support for 2G, 3G and 4G mobile backhaul.
Purpose built for cell site mobile backhaul, the Cell Site Router will come in a 1RU form factor, and features extended operating temperature and carrier OAM capabilities in hardware. Extreme Networks industry-tested ExtremeXOS operating system, with more than 10M Ethernet ports shipped to date, will deliver Provider Bridging, MPLS-TP, VPLS, EAPS and G.8032 resilient packet rings, G.8262 synchronous Ethernet, IEEE-1588, and IP v4/v6 routing at wire speeds.
E4G-400 Cell Site Aggregation Router
Extreme Networks’ E4G-400 cell site aggregation router, also in a 1RU form factor, will come with 24 GigE ports and an optional 10G uplink. It will provide performance and synchronous Ethernet integrated timing for the most demanding of mobile broadband aggregation requirements.
PWM-16 T1/E1
Extreme Networks’ PWM-16 T1/E1 module will add support for T1/E1 backhaul in the E4G-400, protecting a mobile operator’s investment in 2G and 3G access while taking advantage of resilient synchronous gigabit Ethernet for 4G mobile backhaul.