Coriant upgrades 8600 Smart Router Series for mobile backhaul

Coriant says it has enhanced the capabilities of its 8600 Smart Router Series to enable the systems to support IP/optical convergence for mobile backhaul applications. The enhancements include optical layer capabilities to enable multi-layer support for wireless backhaul.

The series, which includes the 8665, 8615, and 8602, now combines IP/MPLS, optical, and software-defined networking (SDN) programmability to tackle the changing requirements of mobile backhaul infrastructure as mobile operators evolve their LTE/LTE-A networks to support 5G, Coriant asserts. The feature integration can mean capex and opex savings of 40% to 60% in current LTE/LTE-A networks, the company adds.

Building blocks of the new approach Coriant calls out include:

• Synchronization capabilities optimized for ultra-dense small cell architectures and CoMP/MIMO transmission environments.
• IP/optical layer optimization, with the introduction of colored interfaces on the 8600 Smart Routers as well as compatibility with Coriant's Pluggable Optical Layer initiative (see "Coriant's Pluggable Optical Layer architecture disaggregates optical functions").
• Scalability for LTE-A/5G requirements, from cell site access at 10G to multi-terabit switching and transport in aggregation and metro core applications.
• Multi-layer, multi-domain SDN automation, powered by the Coriant Transcend SDN Solution, including the recently introduced SDN packet controller (see "Coriant offers SDN packet controller for IP/MPLS networks").
  

"Recent industry research has reinforced the critical challenge that mobile backhaul networks face as they brace for the new scalability, latency, and synchronization requirements of 5G," asserted Mikko Hannula, Director of Product Management, Coriant. "Optimizing the value of both the IP and optical layers with purpose-built solutions and ensuring world-class synchronization will enable network operators to scale cost-efficiently as they transform mobile backhaul networks to support a new era of mobile broadband and cloud connectivity."

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