The EANTC sixth multi-vendor interoperability test at the 2008 MPLS and Ethernet World Congress in Paris focused on mobile backhaul. This has become a hot topic for the telecom industry because packet switched networks can provide enough bandwidth for the predicted increase in data traffic arising from mobile broadband services and are more cost effective than the current TDM networks. That being said, however, packet transport also poses major challenges when implementing an integrated, multiservice, next-generation core, aggregation and access network that supports high-quality mobile backhaul traffic.
The showcase’s lab setup comprised of over 85 devices from 15 vendors, simulating voice and data service integration over Carrier Ethernet and MPLS networks. Various aspects of vendor interoperability were tested, including the following:
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Migration paths: Access, metro and inter-domain circuit emulation services
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Clock synchronization
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WCDMA and GSM mobile applications over PBB-TE metro network
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Metro transport over MPLS, PBB-TE and T-MPLS
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Ethernet OAM
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Resiliency
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Quality of service support
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End-to-end EVPL and E-LAN services
The tests showed reassuring progress in interoperability. Not only did implementations of the three major aggregation technologies (MPLS, PBB-TE and T-MPLS) interwork well within their respective areas, they also interfaced decently with the MPLS core. The test particulars and key results are detailed in this white paper.
For the complete White Paper, download the PDF.
