Makes LTE plays in backhaul and core
With, it says, an eye on operators' needs as they make the shift to LTE, Alcatel-Lucent made two backhaul and core announcements at CTIA.
The vendor said it will integrate multi-gigabit millimeter wave radios from BridgeWave, the leader in gigabit wireless solutions, into its 9500 Microwave Packet Radio (MPR) transmission solutions. This advancement will expand the frequency range covered by the 9500 MPR with the high-frequency 60-90 GHz spectrum to provide customers up to 2.6 Gbps of capacity.
“Offering the most cost-effective mobile transport network that maximizes the relationship between cost and capacity is critical to delivering greater profitability for mobile network operators, and a better service experience for end-users,” said Philippe Dumont, head of wireless transmission activities for Alcatel-Lucent. “After an exhaustive evaluation of all millimeter wave solutions on the market, we selected BridgeWave’s gigabit wireless technology due to its superior combination of performance and capacity, as well as its attractive feature set that makes it a perfect complement to our industry-leading microwave transport portfolio.”
As well as its Microwave announcement, Al-Lu introduced its Evolved Packet Core (EPC), that is said has been designed for operators planning to offer mobile broadband services using LTE. The vendor claimed the EPC has already selected by adopters of LTE "such as Verizon Wireless".
“The EPC plays a pivotal role in enabling operators who move to LTE to meet the significant market expectations for better service at lower cost,” said Stéphane Téral, Principal Analyst, Mobile and FMC Infrastructure with Infonetics. “The industry is moving to IP, and ultimately to bridging the mobile and fixed networks, which gives Alcatel-Lucent a clear advantage given that it has the largest fixed line footprint in the world, demonstrated IP leadership, and a solid heritage in wireless. Its comprehensive end-to-end solution, which draws significantly on all of these strengths, makes it a formidable competitor.”
The Evolved Packet Core incorporates four elements, including: the Mobility Management Entity (MME) and Dynamic Services Controller (DSC), which manage dynamic mobility and policy; and the Serving Gateway (SGW) and Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway, which are implemented as plug-in hardware and software modules for the Alcatel-Lucent 7750 Service Router. With the 7750 SR, operators are able to deploy a single router that supports 2G, 3G and LTE as well as wireline networks, reducing cost, complexity and space requirements.