Ericsson and Liberty Global have announced a successful trial to deliver gigabit broadband and linear TV to residential customers over a wireless trunk link.
The trial aimed to prove the benefits of faster network build, reduced build costs and high-speed broadband in rural or low capacity areas. It was said to demonstrate how service providers can significantly reduce build costs and avoid civil engineering works by using a wireless trunk link instead of laying a traditional fibre trunk underground.
Ericsson said that with the cable industry showing rapid growth within the FTTH domain, there is increased pressure on service providers to deliver more connections in a minimum amount of time and at the lowest possible cost. In addition, the industry migration to digital access networks in the coming years will also require the ability to connect a much broader set of technology applications.
Liberty Global carried out the trial within their Virgin Media UK business. Virgin Media believes that build costs can be reduced by up to 90% as a result of the wireless trunk link.
The distributed access architecture (DAA) decentralises and virtualises certain network functionalities to create a more software-defined network and bring digital fibre signals closer to premises. The wireless backhaul trial was delivered using Ericsson’s MINI-LINK radio technology. Speeds of 1Gbps download and 150Mbps upload achieved in the trial, alongside full linear broadcast TV services.
Using millimetre wave radio frequencies in the E-Band (70-80 GHz), an on-network location in central Newbury (UK) was connected to an off-network location in Greenham over a three-kilometre line-of-sight 10Gbps link using Ericsson MINI-LINK 6352 radios.
In test the wireless trunk delivered 99.5% availability even in what were claimed to be the most severe conditions over the past months in the UK withstanding high winds up to 80mph, 30mm rainfall and heavy snow.
“Alongside Ericsson, we have made the concept of wireless trunk backhaul a reality with this trial,” said Seamus Gallagher, VP for access networks at Liberty Global. “We are very proud to present this as a new tool as part of our network expansion toolkit and look forward to continuing to collaborate on solutions with Ericsson’s leading technology.”
Everth Flores, head of Ericsson Netherlands, added: “This innovative solution will bring speed and economic benefits to fixed MSOs which didn’t exist before. Potential applications for this trial solution include network expansion without having to compromise performance quality, faster-to-market applications, small-cell aggregation backhaul and business-to-business connectivity. It shows the value that Ericsson’s radio solutions bring to the industry beyond mobile telecom operators.”
Ericsson said that with the cable industry showing rapid growth within the FTTH domain, there is increased pressure on service providers to deliver more connections in a minimum amount of time and at the lowest possible cost. In addition, the industry migration to digital access networks in the coming years will also require the ability to connect a much broader set of technology applications.
Liberty Global carried out the trial within their Virgin Media UK business. Virgin Media believes that build costs can be reduced by up to 90% as a result of the wireless trunk link.
The distributed access architecture (DAA) decentralises and virtualises certain network functionalities to create a more software-defined network and bring digital fibre signals closer to premises. The wireless backhaul trial was delivered using Ericsson’s MINI-LINK radio technology. Speeds of 1Gbps download and 150Mbps upload achieved in the trial, alongside full linear broadcast TV services.
Using millimetre wave radio frequencies in the E-Band (70-80 GHz), an on-network location in central Newbury (UK) was connected to an off-network location in Greenham over a three-kilometre line-of-sight 10Gbps link using Ericsson MINI-LINK 6352 radios.
In test the wireless trunk delivered 99.5% availability even in what were claimed to be the most severe conditions over the past months in the UK withstanding high winds up to 80mph, 30mm rainfall and heavy snow.
“Alongside Ericsson, we have made the concept of wireless trunk backhaul a reality with this trial,” said Seamus Gallagher, VP for access networks at Liberty Global. “We are very proud to present this as a new tool as part of our network expansion toolkit and look forward to continuing to collaborate on solutions with Ericsson’s leading technology.”
Everth Flores, head of Ericsson Netherlands, added: “This innovative solution will bring speed and economic benefits to fixed MSOs which didn’t exist before. Potential applications for this trial solution include network expansion without having to compromise performance quality, faster-to-market applications, small-cell aggregation backhaul and business-to-business connectivity. It shows the value that Ericsson’s radio solutions bring to the industry beyond mobile telecom operators.”
