Radisys debuts 40G solution for Intel Data Plane Development Kit

Radisys Corporation introduced the very first single 40 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) controller solution for the Intel Data Plane Development Kit (Intel DPDK.)

Packet Processing functions often require discrete NPUs, co-processors, FPGAs, and other special-purpose hardware. But a combination of advanced software and improvements made to Intel architecture processors have presented a new alternative to developers.

As a member of the Intel Intelligent Systems Alliance, Radisys provides embedded wireless infrastructure solutions. Its GbE controller allows users to rely on one-blade architecture to consolidate all their Application, Control and Packet Processing workloads on Intel Architecture (IA.)

According to Radisys, its 40G solution offers high throughput that can boost the Intel DPDK to perform beyond its current functionality limit of 10G. Radisys' 40G DPDK solution will allow Telecom Equipment Manufacturers (TEMs) to considerably decrease their cost-per-bit for Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) and security applications.

In addition, TEMs can reduce overall complexity and streamline their development of applications by using native 40G support. This can save up to two years of development time and attached costs.

Andrew Alleman, Vice President, Platform Engineering at Radisys, said that “Our solution provides TEMs with a scalable solution with true 40G performance, making this an ideal solution for a variety of form factors from ATCA, Rackmount Servers and Network Appliances, and even to software.”

Mr. Alleman added that “In addition to enhancing the functionality of the Intel DPDK, we at Radisys eagerly adopted the solution within our own wireless infrastructure platforms – including the RMS-220 network appliance – continuing our focus on simplifying our customers’ development environment.”

Radisys recently debuted the RMS-220 carrier-grade network appliance platform. The solution is a highly scalable design based on server-class Intel processors and innovative next-generation technology. The RMS-220 will help meet increasing demands for Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) and networking applications in mobile backhaul networks.

Ruckus Wireless supplying Telefonica UK (O2) with SmartCell small cell units

Ruckus Wireless announced on July 31, 2012 that it will supply Telefonica UK with high-capacity small cell units as part of O2’s plan to deploy high-speed wireless services throughout London.

The Ruckus SmartCell 8800 provides free, fast, and reliable Wi-Fi that anyone can access with a mobile device. Its low-profile design hides the fact that it is the first carrier-grade, modular multi-radio system that integrates patented adaptive antenna array technology that supports a number of licensed and unlicensed radio technologies. SmartCell units can support high-speed dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi, small cell 3G/4G radios, and 5GHz mobile backhaul.

SmartCell units are already deployed throughout iconic central London areas like Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square. They will give Telefonica UK the flexibility to quickly deploy and offer high-speed Wi-Fi and cellular services whenever and wherever they’re needed.

"For O2,” explained Derek McManus, chief operating officer for Telefonica UK, “it's all about us providing customers with fast and reliable connectivity where they need it. Our vision is for Wi-Fi to be simply another access layer to our mobile core.

"Customers don't really care about the underlying technology,” Mr. McManus pointed out. “They care about getting connected, fast and reliably. The introduction of small cells helps us to support these requirements and completely complements our mobile strategy,” he continued, “by letting us push capacity closer to users in locations where it makes the most sense."

Selina Lo, president and CEO of Ruckus Wireless, noted that "there is now a mad race to the lamppost” for telecommunications companies, “and the first one there wins.” According to her, securing the physical locations that have the requisite power and backhaul to support small cells is the biggest obstacle to deployment.

“Once physical assets [have been] secured,” President Lo said, “it becomes important for operators to exploit them with as much technology as they can. This means multi-function, carrier-grade products that are simple deploy, unobtrusive and massively scalable. SmartCell is one of those products,” she said, “and O2 is one of those operators taking a lead in this race."

Telefonica UK performed extensive evaluations of wireless suppliers before selecting Ruckus and its SmartCell system. "It all really boiled down to who had the best Wi-Fi for carriers and the most forward-thinking strategy to integrate Wi-Fi within existing and future cellular infrastructure," said COO McManus.

Raisecom, Symmetricom synchronize mobile backhaul networks

A partnership between mobile backhaul solutions company Raisecom Technology and precise timekeeping equipment manufacturer Symmetricom successfully tested the interoperability of LTE wireless backhaul networks through the use of synchronization.

As part of their SyncWorld Ecosystem Program, Raisecom and Symmetricom executed a comprehensive interoperability test. Their aim was to use ITU.T G.8261 and the IEEE 1588-2008 synchronization protocol to validate LTE mobile backhaul deployment scenarios over packet networks.

For the test, Raisecom provided its iTN201 Carrier Ethernet Edge device, which was powered by a Symmetricom TimeProvider 5000 IEEE 1588-2008 Grandmaster clock.

The Symmetricom clock is a carrier-grade timing source that boasts of high client capacity, hardware-based packet processing, and redundant hardware. It matches up the synchronization needs of next-generation networks like as Synchronous Ethernet (SyncE), IEEE 1588 (PTP), and Network Time Protocol (NTP) timing protocols that operate using the iTN201 Carrier Ethernet Edge.

The successful test with Symmetricom means that Raisecom has achieved the status of a SyncWorld network equipment partner. Network equipment partners are technology vendors that have performed extensive and successful interoperability testing with Symmetricom timekeeping products. Raisecom and its fellow partners will work together in various ways to ensure effective operation of the joint solution in specific scenarios.

By testing its systems' interoperability with mobile backhaul networks, Raisecom will help wireless network carriers and service providers to find cost-effective and future-proof ways to establish new networks or upgrade existing wireless networks.

O2 small cell WiFi network gets mobile backhaul support from Cambridge Broadband VectaStar

Mobile backhaul technology expert Cambridge Broadband Networks will be deploying its Vectastar multipoint microwave backhaul technology on behalf of telecom provider O2's new public small cell Wi-Fi network.

O2 is deploying its first public small cell Wi-Fi network in London. It is composed of more than 100 Wi-Fi access points installed on street furniture across the London Boroughs of Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea. The Wi-Fi network's traffic will be aggregated across the mesh and sent to a number of VectaStar point-to-multipoint nodes. These PTM points will then backhaul the traffic they received to a central hub in London.

O2's small cell network intends to provide O2's London customers with excellent outdoor Wi-Fi connectivity. "Small Cells offer an enormous opportunity for operators to deliver high-speed and high-capacity data access to their subscribers," said Kevin Oemering, Account Director at Cambridge Broadband Networks. 

Director Oemering added, however, that "The significant uplift in the number of radios needed for a small cell network, compared to today's macrocellular networks, requires a new approach to backhaul." According to him, O2 needed a mobile backhaul solution that could be easily and quickly deployed, support the high capacity demands of a small cell network, and possess the flexibility to expand its network across London.

"VectaStar's multipoint microwave architecture is suitably positioned to deal with the increase in the number of cell sites," Director Oemering explained, "as operators exploit innovative network infrastructure to serve mobile consumers."

Cambridge Broadband's VectaStar multipoint wireless backhaul technology uses a network configuration similar to the interface between cell tower and mobile handset found in the radio access network. This fundamentally different and cost-efficient backhauling network architecture uses the available 28 GHz spectrum band to provide excellent benefits for mobiles, including the next generation units. VectaStar mobile backhaul services will give O2 the ability to send traffic from its London network's numerous small cell networks to a single aggregation point.

Mobile Technology as an Interim Backhaul Solution

Cost is a decisive factor in choosing between mobile and fiber backhaul. Not only the short-run but the long-term impact of the type of backhaul model should be considered when making such an investment choice.


Fiber backhaul has been the industry standard despite its limitations. European operators traditionally rely on cables and fibers but are willing to use mobile backhaul for reasons other than cost. Almost 65% of network links run through mobile backhaul, according to Deutsche Bank. In Asia, Korea and Japan have the region's biggest network of mobile backhaul. Sixty percent of backhaul capacity in the Asia-Pacific region is mobile, whereas in North America, it is 15%. Unlike their European counterparts, American carriers are basing their mobile backhaul investment on cost parity relative to fiber. But things may change as new entrants like Clearwire embrace novel networking solutions.


In general, fiber capability is more preferable than mobile, but cost-effectiveness and the time-consuming process of deploying wired network limit fiber expansion. Mobile backhaul also has its own disadvantages like spectrum shortage, signal latency and line-of-sight (LOS) requirements.


Nevertheless, it fills a large gap in network capacity that wired technologies alone cannot address. Given the unique advantages of fiber, operators have good reasons to use mobile backhaul as an interim solution. Wireless technology not only saves millions of dollars in fiber capital expenditures, it also makes it less costly for operators to meet their medium and long-term demand as they develop fiber capacity. Cambridge Broadband Networks sponsored a study which showed how wireless backhaul can reduce capital and operating expenses when deployed in a 10-year transition period.


The estimates are based on current cost level and assumption that medium-term capacity requirements are met via wireless backhaul solution. Using a10 % annual mobile-to-fibre replacement schedule, with 90% completion rateachieved in year 10 , the estimated net present values (NPV) for phased transition to fiber turns out lower than those of pure fiber deployment.


If the transition is towards leased fiber capacity, savings on operational cost will offset mobile backhaul investment in the first year. And in a wireless-to-built fiber transition, savings mainly come from reduced pace of fiber investment, thus offsetting mobile backhaul investment at the start of the backhaul life-cycle. The NPV projections would be in favor of fiber investment if fiber link costs less than $30,000, which is far from reality in most markets. In such case, interim mobile backhaul provides a cost-efficient means to distribute fiber capital outlay.