5G networks are expected to achieve gigabit-level throughput in future
cellular networks. However, it is a great challenge to treat 5G wireless
backhaul traffic in an effective way. In this article, we analyze the wireless
backhaul traffic in two typical network architectures adopting small cell and
millimeter wave commmunication technologies. Furthermore, the energy efficiency
of wireless backhaul networks is compared for different network architectures
and frequency bands. Numerical comparison results provide some guidelines for
deploying future 5G wireless backhaul networks in economical and highly
energy-efficient ways
