Vendors/NEMS usually offer synchronization based on GPS antennas in each deployed cell site. This method is commonly used for turnkey projects, and during technology migration as it evolves from 2G to 3G, or 3G to 4G networks. However, after the network startup phase, carriers tend to migrate synchronization to protected, managed, and scalable timing systems by adopting Precision Time Protocol (PTP), or IEEE 1588, to distribute timing through the network. This white paper provides an in-depth analysis between these two synchronization implementation methods for mobile networks.