Satellite backhaul provides the best way for 3G/LTE...

Satellite backhaul provides the best way for 3G/LTE cellular providers to extend their networks in areas where terrestrial facilities are limited or cost-prohibitive, a Hughes report said. The report, released Monday, examined various technologies for backhauling Radio Area Network traffic from cell towers to the core network, Hughes said in a press release (http://bit.ly/1iiM8uo). Satellite offers cost savings, better performance and logistical advantages over fiber and other options “in filling coverage gaps of cellular mobile networks,” it said. The research was done by Frost & Sullivan. To address the space segment requirement for a backhaul application, the satellite industry has been implementing advanced technology to increase space segment efficiency, the report said (http://bit.ly/Q7clBZ). The cost of satellite access is independent of location, “whereas the cost-effectiveness of microwave towers is directly linked to the distance needed to travel and subsequent number of hops necessary,” it said. The recognition of satellite technology as a viable, cost-effective alternative to fiber for backhaul resulted in an estimated compound annual growth rate of about 5 percent for the satellite backhaul market between 2012 and 2017, it said.