The Broadband Forum has today published a comprehensive release that provides service providers with the necessary tools to evolve their networks rapidly and effectively towards 4G/LTE networks. With the burgeoning demand for high speed mobile services combined with the explosive growth in IP traffic and services, service providers can introduce 4G/LTE networks simultaneously while migrating from existing legacy 2G and 3G mobile backhaul networks to a converged network architecture based on IP/MPLS technology.

Launched at the MPLS & Ethernet World Congress in Paris, BroadbandSuite™ 6.0 addresses network migration requirements with practical resources, specifications, test plans, and best practice documentation, including:

Technical specifications:
• TR-221: “MPLS in Mobile Backhaul Networks”
• IP/MPLS Forum 20.0.0: “MPLS in Mobile Backhaul Networks Framework and Requirements”

Certification Test Plan:
• TR-248: ”Abstract Test Suite for TDM Services over MPLS” (basis of the BBF.248 TDMoMPLS certification)

Resources:
White Papers
• MR-238: “Use of MPLS in LTE”
• MR-258: “Enabling Next Generation Transport and Services using Unified MPLS”

Tutorials
• MR-234: “MPLS in Mobile Backhaul Networks”
• MR-245: “MPLS-TP in Multi-Service Packet Network Deployments”
• MR-275: “Data Center Interconnection”

BroadbandSuite™ 6.0 is an invaluable resource that addresses the growing demand for fast and reliable mobile backhaul services. Operators must be able to handle the increase in the number and sophistication of devices coming online, including smartphones, tablets and gaming consoles. This is critical, as industry forecasts predict an exponential growth in global IP traffic, with around 15 billion fixed and mobile networked devices and machine-to-machine connections by 2015, according to reports issued by both Cisco and Ericsson .

In addition, a recent Pyramid report predicts that LTE is likely to reach 592 million subscriptions in 2016, equivalent to 7.3% of all cellular subscriptions. Of these, 57.3% of LTE subscriptions will be smartphones, 33.4% PCs, 7.6% tablets and the remainder machine-to-machine devices. Pyramid Research states that some 35 mobile operators have already launched commercial LTE networks, with almost 200 devices now available.

Pyramid expects LTE to be the long-term next generation network technology of choice and has already overtaken WiMax subscriptions in 2011. “The heavy emphasis on videos will drive mobile data usage for operators, as will the fact that LTE is well-suited for cloud-based computing thanks to its high bandwidth.”

This is a fast-changing market and the Broadband Forum has a number of additional technical reports and test plans in development addressing areas such as:
• MPLS over Aggregated Interfaces
• MPLS in Carrier Ethernet Networks
• Abstract Test Suite for ATM Services over MPLS
• Certification for Ethernet Services over MPLS
• Energy Efficiency in Core and Access Aggregation

Robin Mersh, CEO of the Broadband Forum said: “The remarkable growth of mobile traffic, driven by demand for data, video and emerging business services, means that the industry must act quickly. The Broadband Forum continues to develop timely specifications that empower the industry to engineer smart converged mobile backhaul implementations.”

BroadbandSuite™ 6.0 provides the tools that give operators the ability to architect a standards-based network design. The test plans and BBF certification allows them to select the right product and vendor in the knowledge that they conform to global specifications. Service providers now have the ability to build a converged, MPLS-based mobile backhaul network leveraging their existing legacy wireless technologies and evolving into the all-IP infrastructure that today’s applications demand.