The Importance of Backhaul Performance in Wireless Networks

Wireless Networks are at the core of modern communication and enable ubiquitous,  high-bandwidth connectivity independent of the user’s location. While the term “wireless” may imply that all the communication happens in a wireless fashion, it is actually only the last-mile from the radio tower to the end user device which is traversed “over-the-air”. The majority of the communication path is still wire-line. In this scenario the radio towers act as collection devices that receive wireless calls and data which are then forwarded, a.k.a. “back-hauled”, on to the core of the communication network for further processing. In this role, “back-haul links” serve as the veins and arteries of the wireless communication network. In technology terms, back-haul describes the transport infrastructure used to connect the radio access network (RAN) back to the core of a mobile network. This vital link between cell tower location and provider hub is a central component of wireless network infrastructure.