INFRASTRUCTURE SHARING: A COST EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE FOR RESILIENCY IN 4G-LTE MOBILE NETWORKS

With the fast growth of Internet and a new widespread interest in broadband networks, the unparalleled potential of Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) is leading to further research and development efforts. One of those areas of research is Path Protection Mechanism. An aim of our ongoing research is to take pragmatic approach to the "last mile" issue and provide a solution to improve resiliency primarily for 4G-LTE mobile networks by infrastructure sharing by making use of this mechanism between operators' backhaul networks. Most previous research on multiprotocol label switching (MPLS)/generalized MPLS (GMPLS) recovery management has focused on efficient routing or signaling methods from single failures. However, in this paper, we present a strategy by means of infrastructure sharing between operators considering sharing the backhaul network infrastructure to improve resiliency among the operators. The paper discusses about the resiliency mechanisms that are adapted in the backhaul network of the operators and henceforth concludes that despite the resiliency mechanisms, there are occasions when the network resources are not available for the end users which necessitates the need for sharing another operatora€ s backhaul, thus decreasing the overall unavailability time. This innovative solution offers significant advantages including fast recovery across multiple operators.