Nokia Siemens Networks and Symmetricom are teaming up to introduce the industry’s first open-standard timing-over-packet solution to synchronize base stations over packet-based backhaul networks. The new solution will meet the challenge of keeping network bandwidth capacity on pace with the demand for data applications, according to the companies.
An important component of the Nokia Siemens Networks timing-over-packet solution is Symmetricom’s TimeProvider 5000. TimeProvider 5000 distributes a network reference clock to a large number of base stations. The base station’s ability to synchronize its radio frequency based on that received clock is an equally important component of the solution. Timing-over-packet is an open and “future-proof” solution, based on IEEE 1588 version 2. It addresses the synchronization requirements of both today as well as forthcoming 3GPP long-term evolution (LTE) wireless networks. Nokia Siemens Networks is demonstrating the solution at CTIA Apr. 1-3.
“While packet-based backhaul networks are actually being deployed, the issue of synchronization so far has stopped mobile operators from entirely replacing their existing TDM network, leading to hybrid network architectures,” said Dirk Lindemeier, responsible for mobile backhaul solutions at Nokia Siemens Networks. “Our backhaul solution is a straight-forward approach to a true packet-based network.”
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