Cellular backhaul through satellites

It is a common practice among cellular operators to have a portion of their network on satellite transmission. Mobile backhaul via satellite broadband allows the cell operators to expand their coverage to remote locations. Wireless communication providers are faced with increasing demands for GSM, 3G and 4G services due to the growing popularity of online videos, entertainment, video calls and chats as well as other web services.

Factors like latency and congestion aggravate network overload problems. It causes operators to look for ways to expand capacity through satellite broadband hybrid networks, which calls for additional investment requirements.  

Unlike urban zones, rural areas do not suffer from the similar kind of bandwidth scarcity. But, the rural population is not large enough to favour investments on telecommunication infrastructure. Luckily, cellular backhaul through satellites makes everything easier for companies to enlarge their network capacity to meet growing consumer demands.  

Although satellite makes things easier, but dealing with satellites and equipment to facilitate the technology are non-core and hence prove to be a resource consuming process. However, things can be simplified by outsourcing rural transmission. A range of VSAT cellular transmission solutions are offered these days while ensuring affordability.

The cost factor

GSM carriers can make use of satellite broadband for backhaul. Voice and data transmissions are favoured via satellite. Although the facility is readily available for cellular phone carriers, but the space segment expenses prevent some of the operators from building a hybrid network. The overall cost of satellite backhauling can be as high as 40% of the total operational cost required for running Base Transceiver Stations.

The cost problem needs to be addressed using intelligent satellite network design while applying the best techniques. Mobile carriers need to look for smart solutions. One way to make the overhaul on satellites cost-effective is to regulate satellite transponder costs. The transponder expenses vary in accordance with the power consumption and occupied bandwidth. In order to control the cost, operators should use satellite circuits making equal use of power and transponder bandwidth. Accomplishing this goal is easy by balancing coding and modulation, and this is to be done when earth station parameters and satellites are fixed.

Boosting cost-efficiency

Forward error correction scheme is good for improving cost-efficiency. Power savings emerge with schemes like low-density parity-check codes and turbo product codes, which also improve performance. Modulations make it easier to achieve maximum data throughput without causing marginal rise in the consumption of bandwidth.

These are some of the ways to make cellular backhaul cost-effective and efficient.