Europe : At the upcoming 3GSM World Congress in Cannes, France, RAD Data Communications will be exhibiting its ACE-3X00 family of multiservice aggregation units for cellular backhauling applications.

RAD’s ACE-3100, ACE-3200 and ACE-3400 ( inset above ) aggregation devices are designed to accommodate the rapid expansion in cellular backhaul traffic that will accompany the widespread deployment of 3G services. “Aggregation of E1/T1 lines is the ideal solution to simultaneously ensure the most economical allocation of backhauling resources and the delivery of dependable multiple 3G services to the customer,” explains Gaby Junowicz, Senior Business Development Manager for Cellular and Wireless Networks at RAD Data Communications.

Co-location and Aggregation Lower Capex and Opex
Given the initial cost of UMTS services, not all mobile subscribers are able or willing to upgrade immediately to 3G. “For that reason GSM is not being replaced overnight in one fell swoop, but, instead, will continue to co-exist side-by-side with 3G networks for many years to come,” Junowicz notes. “Due to the lengthy transitional period between 2G and 3G, it will not be uncommon for 3G/Node Bs to be co-located at the same site along with 2G/BTS facilities.”

Indeed, a recent survey conducted by Philip Marshall, Director of Wireless Mobile Technologies at The Yankee Group, clearly identifies why cellular operators are searching for ways to boost the efficiency of their technical operations. The Yankee
Group report indicated that 30 percent of cellular operators' expenditures are consumed by technical operations, and a whopping 62 percent of these costs are for backhaul transmission and the related expenses of site rental, field maintenance and product support.

“A single aggregator for both generations of cellular technologies will not only yield significant savings on Capex and Opex,” Junowicz states, “but it also furnishes cellular
service providers with the flexibility and dexterity to move between Circuit Emulation Services (CES) and UNI/IMA, an asset that can also further reduce expenditures on field maintenance and support.”

The ACE-3X00 aggregation devices are optimized to provide CES over AAL1 in order to connect GSM equipment, as well as IMA to connect UMTS, both over ATM. This solution allows operators to minimize costs by establishing Node Bs alongside 2G base stations and using the same transport network for all cellular services. The ACE-3X00 products aggregate traffic from several sites and transport them onto a single ATM link.

Flexible Devices
The ports on the ACE-3100, ACE-3200 and ACE-3400 are software-configurable as TDM or ATM (UNI or IMA), enabling operators to purchase one type of unit and adjust it as required for the co-existent environment. This feature frees both operator and carrier from having to anticipate in advance the number of ports required for each service and eliminates the need to maintain an inventory of alternative ports in order to respond to changes in demand for those services.

Future-Proof Investment
The ACE-3X00 products, moreover, can be ordered with either an ATM or Ethernet uplink. This protects the carrier’s investment and a smooth 3G and even 4G migration path to next generation backhauling over IP/MPLS networks.

The ACE-3100 aggregates 4 E1/T1s at BTS/Node B locations, and is typically connected in daisy chain topology along roads, in tunnels, or in case of pico-base-stations, even within buildings. This offers a simple and cost effective way to connect the radio base stations to the network core.

The ACE-3200 aggregates up to 16 E1/T1s at BTS/Node B locations or at base station hub-sites, dramatically reducing the number of E1 lines that the operator will need for backhaul. It can also be deployed by carriers at their points of presence (POPs) to economize the simultaneous provisioning of backhauling services to different cellular operators. The product can be ordered with either 8 or 16 ports.

The modular ACE-3400 can be ordered to accommodate either 32 or 63 E1 or T1 ports and is specifically designed for deployment at the carrier POP or the mobile RNC site. The product’s cards are hot swappable to provide service continuity. “RAD’s ACE-3X00
solutions offer the best performance at the best price available anywhere in the market,” states Ilan Tevet, ATM Product Line Manager at RAD Data Communications. “They will make a major contribution in making 3G more affordable to operators and customers alike.”