Mobile data usage is growing exponentially, increasing pressure on mobile networks. As a result, mobile operators are looking for more cost-effective backhaul solutions using ethernet, wavelengths, and dark fibre. Colt has experience providing metro fibre backhaul services in European cities using their fibre assets and relationships with landlords. Their solution aims to improve network capabilities and reduce costs for mobile operators by sharing fibre connectivity between cell sites rather than point-to-point connections. Colt's extensive fibre network and experience in 28 countries positions them to provide scalable, flexible, and future-proof mobile backhaul solutions.

1. 1© 2015 Colt Technology Services Group Limited. The Colt name
and logos are trade marks. All rights reserved.
Colt
Metro Fibre
Backhaul
Under pressure of more demands from mobile
users, especially in populated urban areas,
the ever growing hunger for bandwidth is
exponential year over year. In Western Europe,
mobile data traffic will grow 7-fold from 2014
to 2019, a compound annual growth rate of 48%
(source: Cisco VNI 2015) impacted by video
applications and the new EU roaming regulations
coming in 2017. As a consequence, Mobile
Operators are rethinking their network to more
cost-effective backhaul looking for a mix of
Ethernet, Wavelength and Dark Fibre.
We have gained invaluable experience working
with Tier 1 Mobile Operators on successful
metropolitan oriented Fibre backhaul projects
in a number of European cities. Our Metro Fibre
Backhaul Service, coupled with our ability to
collaborate with different City stakeholders and
landlords, is offering the most efficient and future
proof radio network connectivity.
With the growing demand for mobile data
capacity, stimulated by both human use (video,
social media, marketing) and applications in the
field of IoT, operators themselves should have
to wonder then how they can add capacity to
their mobile networks without adding significant
costs. The regulation on EU roaming which will
be implemented over the coming years, will
accelerate this trend. The revenues will not follow
the capacity demand of the mobile networks
will go down while the use of networks will grow
within the EU. It is the challenge to use and extend
networks capabilities in a cost efficient way.
We believe our own fibre assets & network
capabilities, relationship with landlords and
Colt Metro Fibre to cope with the growing
capacity required by Radio Networks evolution
experiences position us with a solution that
improves cost and reduces project risk & lead
times.
Mobile Operator Objectives
Beyond sharing network access, Mobile Operators
are continuously seeking to improve network
capabilities in the most efficient and economical
way:
• Total Cost of Ownership: increases in capacity
and sites lead to an increase in OPEX which
needs to be minimized by a disruptive approach.
• Alternative and Innovative Solutions: meet
the RAN evolution with introduction of LTE-
Advanced features, future ‘5G technologies’,
IoT/m2m, MTC and network virtualization.
• Solution Ubiquity: ability to deploy in the
geographical areas in the exact location where
urgent need of capacity increase.
• Long term strategy: highly agile, adaptable,
scalable mobile backhaul network ready for
CRAN/ VRAN.
• Technical: Future proof with SDN capabilities
available
• Flexibility: Full access of the fibre commercial
models either Leased Ethernet/ Wavelength or
Dark Fibre approach.
Service Details
The proposed solution is based on utilising our
owned and operated fibre network with optimised
and flexible fibre access to the cell sites for covering
Mobile Backhaul/ MidHaul & FrontHaul needs.
Reach a group of sites based on local Point of
Presence until a termination point that can host
MNO Network Infrastructure. Resiliency provided
by the ring topology and relying on protected path.

2. 2© 2015 Colt Technology Services Group Limited. The Colt name
and logos are trade marks. All rights reserved.
Colt
Why Colt?
Don’t wait, challenge
Colt capabilities!
Share the Fibre cost between cluster of sites
instead of point to point connectivity with
dedicated Fibre.
Access solution supports both managed Ethernet
or passive WDM/ dark fibre options.Transmission
electronic equipment installed and pre-provisioned
in street furniture or street cabinet.Future proof
& scalable connectivity to cope with Fronthaul
requirements.
Example of High Level Fronthaul or Backhaul
architecture below:
If you like to talk about these
capabilities…
…please contact us at:
aaron.partouche@colt.net
or art.neilen@colt.net
In order to reach optimum balance between
Fibre / network costs, we support any planning
exercise matching provided data with our
network footprint – in other words, we will be
providing distance to the Colt fibre network for
any given list of coordinates or address in a city
below, i.e. using our powerful desktop tool.
We can suggest locations on request with more
than 47,000 buildings or street sites that are
connected or very close to our network.
We have an extensive experience in providing
Fibre based network services in Metropolitan
areas over two decades to customer buildings
and Street Assets. This heritage and experience
makes providing network services very “standard”
for us. We have operations in 28 countries and
networks on three continents with over 22K lit
buildings and a very dense fibre penetration in
47 MAN’s.