Connecting the next two billion

Analyst forecasts indicate that around two billion more mobile subscribers will be added to the global market by 2013, with rural customers in emerging markets accounting for a majority of this growth.

As mobile operators in these regions struggle to profitably expand their networks into remote areas, there is evidence of a trend towards the use of satellite networks to cost-effectively backhaul voice and data traffic, as well as a shift toward an all-IP network infrastructure to achieve greater operational efficiencies.

Industry analyst Informa, which published a research paper commissioned by satellite-based IP technology firm iDirect, found that operators are realising the advantages of Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) satellite networks as an alternative to microwave towers, Single Channel Per Carrier (SCPC) satellite connectivity and other conventional forms of mobile backhaul.

The research reveals that TDMA networks enable operators to reduce operating costs by allocating shared satellite capacity across multiple remote sites, with operators implementing IP-based backhaul networks realising bandwidth savings of up to 40 per cent.

According to Informa estimates around 58 per cent of operators worldwide currently deploy satellite backhaul technology, and 80 per cent plan to expand their basestation sites further into remote areas in the next five years, with TDMA-based infrastructure accounting for the majority of growth.

Moreover, 83 per cent of carriers have begun implementing IP technology, with major benefits listed including offering internet access, supporting a broad variety of mobile data services and creating a single unified network to lower operating costs, minimize technical complexity and increase network efficiency. “Both remote and rural areas present a huge opportunity for mobile operators. TDMA backhaul is giving mobile operators a tool to cost effectively reach new subscribers, expand coverage and maintain organic growth beyond urban areas,” Informa said.