The Broadband Forum has published a comprehensive release, BroadbandSuite 6.0, saying that it provides service providers with the necessary tools to evolve their networks rapidly and effectively towards 4G/LTE networks.
According to industry reports, there is a burgeoning demand for high speed mobile services and also there is explosive growth in IP traffic and services.
Thanks to this demand for high speed mobile services and explosive growth in IP traffic and services, service providers can introduce 4G/LTE networks simultaneously while migrating from existing legacy 2G and 3G mobile backhaul networks to a converged network architecture based on IP/MPLS technology.
BroadbandSuite 6.0 addresses network migration requirements with practical resources, specifications, test plans and best practice documentation.
In this latest offering from the Broadband Forum, the technical specifications include TR-221: “MPLS in Mobile Backhaul Networks,” and IP/MPLS Forum 20.0.0: "MPLS in Mobile Backhaul Networks Framework and Requirements."
The certification test plan includes TR-248: “Abstract Test Suite for TDM Services over MPLS,” the basis of the BBF.248 TDMoMPLS certification.
The white papers are MR-238: “Use of MPLS in LTE” and MR-258: “Enabling Next Generation Transport and Services using Unified MPLS.”
The tutorials are MR-234: “MPLS in Mobile Backhaul Networks”; MR-245: “MPLS-TP in Multi-Service Packet Network Deployments”; and MR-275: “Data Center Interconnection.”
Calling BroadbandSuite 6.0 an “invaluable resource,” officials of the Broadband Forum said that it addresses the growing demand for fast and reliable mobile backhaul services.
They said that operators must be able to handle the increase in the number and sophistication of devices coming online, including smartphones, tablets and gaming consoles.
“The remarkable growth of mobile traffic, driven by demand for data, video and emerging business services, means that the industry must act quickly,” said Robin Mersh, CEO of the Broadband Forum.
Mersh said that the Broadband Forum continues to develop timely specifications that empower the industry to engineer smart converged mobile backhaul implementations.
With the BroadbandSuite 6.0 provided tools, operators can architect a standards-based network design. Company officials said that the test plans and BBF certification allows them to select the right product and vendor in the knowledge that they conform to global specifications.
Additionally, service providers now have the ability to build a converged, MPLS-based mobile backhaul network leveraging their existing legacy wireless technologies and evolving into the all-IP infrastructure that today's applications demand.
Anshu Shrivastava is a contributing editor for MobilityTechzone. To read more of Anshu’s articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by
Rich Steeves 
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