Mobile Service Providers Benefit from Cisco IP NGN Innovations

Wataniya Telecom of Kuwait simplifies and cost-effectively provisions network bandwidth while improving architectural flexibility

Cisco® today announced two significant innovations to its Internet Protocol Next-Generation Network (IP NGN) architecture: a Mobile Transport over Pseudowires (MToP) solution and an enhanced Cisco Content Services Gateway.

These Cisco IP NGN innovations will enable mobile service providers to dramatically improve traffic backhaul, ease second-generation (2G), third-generation (3G) and fourth-generation (4G) service convergence, and manage content access and billing more efficiently - while offering greater mobile user personalization capabilities. Both innovations are designed for providers using Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) or Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) technologies.

Mobile Transport over Pseudowires (MToP)

The new Cisco Mobile Transport over Pseudowires (MToP) solution extends Cisco IP network intelligence from a mobile service provider's core to edge aggregation sites via circuit-emulation-over-packet shared port adapters (SPAs) for the Cisco 7600 Series Routers. Two models of circuit-emulation SPAs are available: the one-port channel OC-3/STM-1 and the 24-port T1/E1/J1. This solution ensures scalable support for 2G, 3G and 4G services and applications.

Mobile service providers face the dual challenge of reducing operational and equipment expenses while adding capacity to radio access networks (RANs) to support advanced data and video services. Users now demand access to voice, data and video and applications at anytime, from anywhere, to any mobile device.

The most common implementation for RAN backhaul relies on a network of dedicated time-division multiplexing (TDM) and asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) circuits. Although this works well for basic voice and data services, mobile service users' demands for video downloading and other media-rich applications are forcing mobile services providers to invest in additional capacity.

Mobile service providers such as Wataniya Telecom of Kuwait are facing increasing cost pressures as they scale these TDM circuits. By moving to circuit emulation to carry TDM traffic directly over converged IP Multiprotocol Label Switching (IP/MPLS) and Ethernet networks, they can achieve the cost savings and flexibility of Ethernet while preserving the critical clocking signal required for seamless handoffs as users move between aggregation sites.

By using its IP-based network - consisting of Cisco 7600 and 12000 Series Routers - Wataniya Telecom has several business objectives. These include making it easier and less costly to provide bandwidth in the network while improving network architectural flexibility. Aggregation sites can be connected to radio network controllers or mobile switching centers based on available capacity using standards-based MPLS pseudowires, not on geographic location.

"Our network continues to grow quickly, driven by the demand among customers to stay connected via reliable, fast and secured means while at work, at home or on the go," said Harri Koponen, general manager and CEO of Wataniya Telecom. "By using our converged Internet Protocol network, enabled by the Cisco IP NGN architecture, to transport radio access traffic ultimately means that we can provide innovative services without frequent upgrades."

"Wataniya Telecom is at the forefront of advanced service delivery for the 'Connected Life on the Move.' It provides mobile users with consistent experiences, no matter what device they are using," said Larry Lang, vice president and general manager, Cisco Mobile Wireless Group. "By incorporating Cisco Mobile Transport over Pseudowires and content billing technologies directly into its most advanced and highest-capacity routers, Cisco has provided the flexibility, scalability, ease of installation and management necessary to maximize the return on network investments."

Isocore, an Internet and wireless networking technology validation organization, also supports the notion of extending MPLS core capabilities into a mobile service providers' RAN.

"Circuit emulation over Internet Protocol is a cost-effective technology to propel the network convergence and, in particular, address the increasing data traffic in wireless carriers' networks," said Dr. Bijan Jabbari, president of Isocore. "We believe that the traditional time-division multiplexed circuits that require synchronization can be transported over a packet-based network, thus allowing service providers to handle the convergence of voice, video, data and mobility services" - Cisco.