Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) has given its backhaul product portfolio a makeover to take on the challenges of small-cell deployments.

The vendor has added several new products as well as extra professional services to its backhaul offering. The changes are intended to give operators flexibility to use whatever technology they have available -- whether that is fiber, copper or wireless options, such as microwave -- to link small base stations back to their core networks.

One of the biggest hurdles to small-cell backhaul is the location of the tiny base stations: That factor makes it difficult, or even impossible, for operators to use their existing backhaul infrastructure to support the distributed access points.

A good example is the often-referenced scenario of small cells on lampposts, a location where operators typically would not have backhaul in place.

According to Manish Gulyani, Alcatel-Lucent's VP of product marketing, Networks Business Unit, the backhaul technology decision for small cells will often be based on "what operators can get there, rather than what they'd like to get there."

For example, operators may try to tap in to their DSL infrastructure in locations where they don't have access to fiber or microwave, which is what they would typically use for macro cell site backhaul.

"We take that challenge away from them by giving them flexibility … that allows them to adapt to any situation," he added.

So what's new from AlcaLu? Here's a run-down of the changes:

Why this matters
The extent to which Alcatel-Lucent has updated its backhaul portfolio for small cells shows just how broad and flexible the technology options need to be for operators. The nature of public-access small-cell deployments takes some operators into uncharted territory with the locations of the tiny base stations -- getting backhaul to those sites remains one of the biggest challenges for these networks.

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— Michelle Donegan, European Editor, Light Reading Mobile