Carrier Ethernet Demarcation for LTE and 5G Mobile Backhaul

LTE/5G services are delivered via fiber backhaul to small cells and macro cell towers deployed throughout Ethernet Mobile Backhaul and Radio Access Networks (RAN).   Due to the stringent performance requirements of LTE/5G services, Carrier Ethernet iConverter Network Interface Devices (NIDs) are deployed as demarcation devices to provide carrier-class performance monitoring, fault management and timing synchronization.

iConverter® NIDs enable wireless backhaul Service Level Agreements (SLA), reduce operating costs, and reduce capital expenditures when deploying small cells and cell towers in a variety of network topologies.

Carrier Ethernet Demarcation Products

iConverter® Carrier Ethernet 2.0 Network Interface Devices

iConverter NIDs provide MEF Carrier Ethernet 2.0 Certified demarcation for business services and cloud services. These state-of-the-art NIDs enable business services with advanced service assurance, and reduce operating costs with automated service provisioning and testing. 

iConverter GM4 Gigabit NIDs

iConverter GM4 Gigabit NIDs with PoE

iConverter XM5 10G NIDs

iConverter XM5 10G Demarcation and Aggregation NIDs

iConverter Tiered NIDs

iConverter NIDs are available with different feature sets, form factors and price points to match functions and cost to service

Mobile Backhaul Demarcation for 5G/LTE

In this application, a Mobile Network Operator (MNO) has a Radio Access Network (RAN) that connects cell towers to an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network, and needs to ensure performance requirements of delay, delay variation, loss and availability.  To ensure these requirements are met, the MNO deploys Network Interface Devices (NIDs) at the points of demarcation to measure the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) of the access service.

Three Ethernet Virtual Connections (EVCs) are transported across a protected fiber RAN to the cell towers.

The RAN consists of a 10G resilient ring with ITU-T G.8032 Ethernet Ring Protection Switching (ERPS). iConverter XM5 NIDs are deployed at hub locations for connectivity to the 10G G.8032 ring.  A Gigabit fiber sub-ring is connected to the 10G ring, where an XM5 NID provides connectivity to the 10G ring and connectivity to the Gigabit sub-ring, and supports G.8032 protection switching on both rings. Compact five-port iConverter GM4 NIDs are deployed as nodes on the Gigabit sub-ring that enable up to three Gigabit or 100Mbps fiber access links from the nodes to cell towers.

Another XM5 NID on the 10G G.8032 ring provides connectivity to redundant Gigabit fiber links with ITU-T G.8031 Ethernet Linear Protection Switching (ELPS) that is connected to a five-port iConverter GM4 NID at the other end to provide up to three Gigabit or 100Mbps fiber access links to cell towers.

The iConverter Carrier Ethernet 2.0 NIDs on the RAN provide advanced Traffic Management features that enable the MNO to offer MEF-certified Carrier Ethernet 2.0 services with Multiple Classes of Service (Multi-CoS), granular rate-limiting, and 802.1ad Provider Bridge VLAN stacking (Q-in-Q) for service multiplexing. iConverter Carrier Ethernet 2.0 NIDs filter the backhaul traffic, assign the traffic to different Classes of Services, enforce rate-limiting for each CoS, and forward the allowed traffic to the other subscriber locations. Support for per-flow service mapping, traffic policing and shaping transports nearly any type of backhaul traffic as an EVC or CoS flow.

The iConverter NIDs also support ITU-T G.8262 Synchronous Ethernet and IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol (PTP) timing to achieve the stringent timing requirements of wireless voice and data applications. With PTP, it is possible to synchronize distributed clocks with an accuracy of less than 10 microseconds on the Ethernet RAN network.

Service activation and testing tools include Zero-Touch Provisioning, and built-in ITU-T Y.1564 and RFC 2544 test heads that allow the NIDs to perform tests with synthetic subscriber traffic, and eliminate the need for service personnel and test equipment at the cell tower. Service testing ensures proper service provisioning, validates the Service Level Agreement (SLA) parameters, and helps troubleshoot any service issues. These features shorten deployment time and reduce operating costs by simplifying service provisioning and testing.

During operation, the iConverter NIDs regularly communicate with each other, ensuring the service paths between the subscriber locations are uninterrupted. Advanced fault management features include support for IEEE 802.1ag Connectivity Fault Management (CFM) for proactive fault monitoring and isolation, and G.8032 Ethernet Ring Protection Switching (ERPS) for resilient rings with sub-50ms failover.

iConverter NIDs support ITU-T Y.1731, MEF 23.1 and RFC 5357 TWAMP performance monitoring standards, ensuring the delay, delay variation, loss and availability of the service are meeting the SLA. Support for third-party SLA Portals enable customers access to performance monitoring metrics through the MNO’s existing OSS/BSS.

HetNet LTE/5G Mobile Backhaul with Tiered Demarcation

Service Providers and Cable Operators are deploying carrier Wi-Fi and small cells as part of the Mobile Network Operator (MNO) Heterogeneous Network (HetNet) strategy to complement macro cell towers to meet the growing bandwidth demands of smart phones and tablets.  Mobile backhaul now includes fiber connectivity to cell towers, small cells and Wi-Fi access points.  iConverter NIDs provide a tiered product offering that supports different features, form factors and data rates.

>> Learn more about the iConverter NID Tiered Product Offering.

In this application, Carrier Ethernet 2.0 NIDs are deployed in a Radio Access Network that consists of a 10G resilient ring. An iConverter XM5 Demarcation and Aggregation NID that supports G.8032 Ethernet Ring Protection Switching (ERPS) is deployed at a hub location on left side of the ring and provides up to 12 Gigabit fiber access links. On the right side of the ring, an iConverter XM5 NID provides 10G G.8032 ring connectivity and Gigabit fiber links with ITU-T G.8031 Ethernet Linear Protection Switching that connect to a Gigabit GM4 NID.  The GM4 NID also supports G.8031, and provides up to three copper or fiber ports for connectivity to Cell Site Router (CSR) at the macro cell towers.

A GM4 PoE NID is also connected to the XM5 NID via a Gigabit SFP port.  The GM4 PoE NID provides CE 2.0 demarcation and up to four RJ-45 copper ports with up to 75W HPoE to provide power and data to a Small Cell and a Wi-Fi Access Point.

>> Learn more about GM4 PoE NIDs and connectivity to Small Cells and Wi-Fi Access Points.

iConverter CE 2.0 NIDs are MEF Carrier Ethernet 2.0 Certified Compliant to provide advanced traffic management and service assurance.

Service OAM NIDs are deployed at cell towers to provide cost-effective demarcation with performance monitoring and fault management for SLA assured services.  Traffic management is performed by the XM5 NID at the hub location. 

An SFP NID™ is installed directly into an SFP port in the Cell Site Router (CSR) at the macro cell, and saves Capital Expenditures (CAPEX) by eliminating the need for a standalone demarcation device. The SFP-NID enables low-latency, SLA-guaranteed 4G/LTE macro cell and metro/small cell backhaul services with real time Y.1731 and TWAMP Performance Monitoring 802.1ag Connectivity Fault Management. Integrated ITU-T Y.1564 and RFC 2544 test heads provide multi-flow Service Activation Testing (SAT) of throughput, latency, jitter and frame loss at full wire speed.

A microNID™  is deployed at the second cell tower.  The microNID is a low-cost, standalone demarcation device that provides an RJ-45 copper hand off from a fiber access link, and supports the same features as the SFP-NID.

A GM3 NID is deployed at the third cell tower.  The GM3 NID is cost-effective and feature rich demarcation device that supports Service OAM standards along with traffic management, policing and shaping. The GM3 NID also supports Zero-Touch Provisioning and port redundancy.

>> Learn more about different features supported by iConverter NIDs.