Deployment of Precision Time Protocol for Synchronization of GSM and UMTS Basestations

This paper is designed to help network engineers, network planners, and network operations understand how to deploy Precision Time Protocol (PTP, or IEEE 1588). PTP is a next generation, packet-based timing protocol targeted for use in asynchronous network infrastructures based on packet transport technologies. This paper specifically focuses on the synchronization requirements for wireless backhaul applications across native Ethernet-based networks within the UMTS/GSM mobile wireless environment. It discusses the relevance of PTP within this paradigm, and describes some of the considerations that have to be taken into account for deployment of PTP into such a network. The paper also discusses some of the advantages and limitations of packet-based timing technologies, with specific reference to PTP.