Broadcom Expands Bandwidth for 4G Mobile Backhaul with Latest High Performance Switching Silicon

Capable of delivering 1000x more bandwidth than legacy time-division multiplexing (TDM) based networks(1), the Broadcom® BCM56440 series offers carriers a seamless migration path to Ethernet-class performance and advanced services in the mobile backhaul network.



The BCM56440 switch series provides the industry's highest integration in its class, combining the functionality of up to seven off-the-shelf application-specific standard parts (ASSPs) into one 40 nanometer (nm) CMOS device, dramatically lowering OEM bill-of-material (BOM) cost while reducing service provider capital expenditure (CAPEX) on mobile backhaul equipment by up to 50 percent. In addition the BCM56440 eliminates the need for expensive, power-hungry network processing units (NPUs) and field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), significantly reducing overall development costs and time to market.



Enabling the Migration to Ethernet



Industry analysts predict that mobile data traffic will double each year through 2014 as the use of connected devices, such as smartphones and tablets, continue to grow at an astonishing rate(2). Existing mobile backhaul networks, typically built on legacy TDM technology, are reaching capacity and carriers are scrambling to upgrade them to much more efficient Ethernet-based networking to manage the massive new bandwidth requirements.



Ethernet is expected to become the dominant carrier backhaul technology, approaching 100 percent usage in base stations by 2014. As a result, analyst firm Infonetics predicts mobile backhaul equipment expenditures will reach $8B(2) within the same time period. With today's announcement Broadcom is at the forefront in enabling this network transformation.



Market Drivers



* Smartphone penetration is expected to double during the next four years(2).

* Smartphones require 10x more bandwidth than a normal feature phone(4).

* Tablet PC sales are forecast to reach 126 million units in 2015(3).

* Tablet PCs generate 100 times more traffic than a feature phone(4).

* Mobile connectivity to laptops and tablets over cellular networks is also increasing(4).

* Current networks (typically built on legacy TDM) are costly and limited in bandwidth.

* Analyst firm Infonetics projects the mobile backhaul equipment market to reach $8B by 2014(5).

* Ethernet offers service provider's a 75 percent annual OPEX savings over legacy TDM networks.

* The BCM56440 reduces service provider capital expenditure (CAPEX) on Mobile Backhaul Equipment by up to 50 percent.

* Packet data in the mobile backhaul is growing at 100 percent per year due to the adoption of new 4G wireless technologies including LTE, HSPA+, IMT-Advanced and WiMAX.





Highlights/Key Facts:



* The BCM56440 switch series is based on Broadcom's industry-leading Ethernet Edge switch for carrier access networks.

o Provides cost-effective, seamless transition for legacy TDM networks.

o Ideally suited for 3G & 4G mobile backhaul transport.

o Delivers unparalleled integration of features and functions, including switching, traffic management, timing, circuit emulation services, and memory.

o Provides complete solution for all parts of the mobile backhaul network, from small to very large port counts.

o Represents Broadcom' s seventh generation StrataXGS series — innovation honed over time.

o Embedded deep buffer & hierarchical Quality of Service (QoS) in a single 40 nanometer (nm) CMOS device.

o Provides a complete 1588v2 solution for boundary clock, ordinary clock and transparent clock.

o Features energy conscious, low-power 40nm fabric for fanless operation.

o Handles L2 switching, L3 routing, metro VPN tunneling and access control lists.

o Provides seamless support for VPLS, VPWS, MPLS-TP, PBB and PBB-TE tunneling.

o Supports Ethernet and MPLS OAM in hardware to enable a complete host CPU offload.

o Supports synchronous Ethernet clock synchronization supported on all ports

* The BCM56440 switch series is now sampling with production volume expected in calendar Q4 2011.