Wireless Backhaul Resiliency via Mesh Failover
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mobile network backhaul systems are vulnerable to failures at local Internet points of presence (POPs), leading to service interruptions during adverse events like flooding or infrastructure destruction, as they rely on wired connections that can be affected by localized outages.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a wireless backhaul system using a mesh network that allows macro base stations to share backhaul connections, enabling failover to a secondary connection when the primary wired link fails, utilizing colocated mesh network nodes and multiple radios for resilient communication via Wi-Fi or other wireless interfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a wired backhaul connection is used for macro base stations, then stable and reliable backhaul is provided, but the system becomes vulnerable to localized failures such as flooding or infrastructure destruction at Internet POPs
Solution Approach 1:
A wireless mesh network is introduced as an intermediary communication path between macro base stations and the core network. When the wired backhaul connection fails due to localized disasters, the mesh network provides an alternative route through wireless links between base stations, allowing traffic to be forwarded around the affected area to reach the core network through unaffected Internet POPs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the communication medium parameter from wired to wireless when failure is detected. The macro base station monitors the status of its wired backhaul connection and automatically switches to using wireless mesh network links when the wired connection becomes unavailable, thereby adapting to changing network conditions and avoiding localized failures.
2Reliability
If a secondary backhaul connection is implemented for resiliency, then service continuity is improved during failures, but the device complexity and infrastructure requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Macro base stations are equipped with dual functionality: they serve as both access points for mobile devices and as mesh network nodes for backhaul communication. This multi-functionality allows the same infrastructure to provide both user access and inter-base-station communication, eliminating the need for dedicated secondary backhaul hardware and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The wireless mesh network is a self-organizing system where base stations automatically discover each other, establish connections, and route traffic without requiring manual configuration or dedicated control infrastructure. When a failure occurs, the mesh network automatically reroutes traffic through available paths, providing self-healing capability that reduces operational complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A wireless backhaul resiliency system incorporating a mesh network is disclosed, comprising: a first base station utilizing a first mesh network node for a first wide area network (WAN)/backhaul connection and having a first wireless mesh functionality; and a second base station utilizing a second mesh network node for a second WAN/backhaul connection and having a second wireless mesh functionality, wherein the first base station is configured to detect when the first WAN/backhaul connection fails and fail over to a wireless mesh connection between the first wireless mesh functionality at the first base station and the second wireless mesh functionality at the second base station, thereby forwarding data from the first base station to a core network via the wireless mesh connection, the second mesh network node, and the second WAN/backhaul connection in the event of a failure.