As mobile operators rush to deploy and expand their 5G coverage, they are all recognizing that the backhaul network, (the network of cell site routers and aggregation routers that carry traffic from the cell sites to the core network), must evolve to support the bandwidth and latency needs of performance-hungry 5G customers. Some providers have rushed to increase bandwidth while others have embarked on aggressive programs to replace older circuits with ethernet or optical links. With projections of growth to up to 8 million cell sites to support 5G, deploying and operating the backhaul network elements is a massive ongoing effort for networking engineers and operations teams.
Itential has been working with several mobile operators to automate their cell site backhaul networks and the results have been transformational, allowing these operators to accelerate their 5G programs. While enabling the transport network for new 5G capabilities like 5G network slicing, automation provides such benefits as reducing the cost to deploy and manage networks by 80%.
In this webinar, we discuss why automation is ideal for 5G backhaul by discussing topics such as:
- Drivers for backhaul transformation.
- Essential components of a backhaul automation solution.
- Key automation use cases that eliminate manual effort and enable engineers to focus on high-impact activities.
- Business impact and benefits of backhaul automation.
- How backhaul automation can be an enabler for 5G network slicing and other 5G new features.
