BRUSSELS — Ovum RHK's new five-year forecast of wireless backhaul traffic, services, equipment, and components estimates that traffic on mobile backhaul networks will grow by 32 percent per year, driven by the adoption of mobile broadband services around the globe, while mobile operators will spend $37 billion globally on wireless backhaul in 2012, nearly 12 percent of total operating expense in 2012.

According to the report sales of backhaul transport equipment will grow 43 percent annually over the next 5 years, and will reach $7.3 billion by 2012. Further, component demand related to backhaul transport equipment will exceed $1 billion by 2012

"Mobile operators today are challenged to grow backhaul capacity quickly, flexibly, and economically, to support rapid growth in bandwidth-intensive mobile data services," said John Lively, Vice President at Ovum RHK.

"Fortunately, many new architectures and equipment innovations will allow them to meet this challenge."

"Wireless backhaul is an exciting growth market for telecom equipment and component vendors."

Ovum RHK's report 'Forecast: Wireless Backhaul Opportunities, global' includes forecasts by region of backhaul traffic, service revenues, wholesale services, equipment revenues, and related component demand, through 2012.