Backhaul

In a hierarchical telecommunications network the backhaul portion of the network comprises the intermediate links between the core, or backbone, of the network and the small subnetworks at the "edge" of the entire hierarchical network. For example, while cell phones communicating with a single cell tower constitute a local subnetwork, the connection between the cell tower and the rest of the world begins with a backhaul link to the core of the telephone company's network (via a point of presence).

Visualizing the entire hierarchical network as a human skeleton, the core network would be the spine, the backhaul links would be the limbs, the edge networks would be the hands and feet, and the individual links within those edge networks would be the fingers and toes.