Emerging mobile broadband networks are being developed to provide users a superior service environment with new value-added services and applications either enabled or optimized by the mobile operator. With the massive traffic growth from smartphones, netbooks and other emerging devices that can leverage these networks and services, the importance of the multimedia packet core network increases significantly as it is key to monetizing the network through new services and applications.
The “Brain” of the Network
The Evolved Packet Core (EPC) is the next generation multimedia core network for 4G access and is required to deploy LTE radio technology. It also provides optimized access for 2G, 3G, non-3GPP, and potentially even fixed access networks. Due to the sizable investment required to roll out LTE radio access, the packet core is often a secondary consideration. However, the business drivers of emerging LTE radio access equally impact the EPC, including: fast and efficient introduction of new multimedia services and applications, lower overall cost through intelligence and optimization, and session/subscriber management.
As you plan your LTE/EPC networks, there are many unique challenges and considerations to analyze when deciding your architecture, deployment strategy and vendors.
In this three-part article series, we’ll walk you through the top EPC considerations when deciding your architecture and deployment strategy. In this first article, we will be focusing on the intelligent core.
Integrated Intelligence
As a mobile operator, you are recognizing the unmistakable reality that bandwidth consumption, and as a result CAPEX and OPEX, is increasing much faster than revenue. While you must work to control skyrocketing bandwidth demands through network resource management, you must also introduce next-generation personalized services such as live streaming video, games, rich content, music, IPTV, VoIP and video-enabled phone calling. These services involve differing levels of bandwidth, latency tolerance and data flow treatment. In addition, you are looking for solutions that monitor, observe and analyze network and traffic conditions in real-time, while having the intelligence to modify policies if required.
The good news is that while the EPC is a relatively small percentage of overall mobile wireless infrastructure spending, it can provide the greatest potential impact on overall network profitability through generation of new services and cost savings through network optimization. This is accomplished through the creation of an intelligent EPC network, as opposed to a transport utility “bit pipe” network. Incremental investment in an intelligent EPC allows you to monetize the network through service creation and lowering of the overall cost of the core and backhaul network.
What’s Your Policy?
One way to improve the quality of experience for your subscribers, and at the same time, gain control of your network costs is through a policy solution. The three key capabilities required for a standard Policy and Charging Control (PCC) solution are policy, enforcement and charging, including the following functions:
–Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF)
–Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF)
–Charging through Online and Offline Charging System (OCS and OFCS)
The Enforcer
The 3GPP standards specify the PCEF as being part of the EPC, in particular, packet data network gateway (P-GW). This is accomplished through Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) and integrated intelligent services, which integrate appropriate services or applications into the bearer plane traffic at the mobile gateway. This technology provides the ability to not only detect appropriate traffic, through shallow and deep packet inspection, but also provides the enforcement function (PCEF) of the subscriber management solution. DPI with In-line Services simplifies the network through integrated functions and services, simpler manageability and control, fewer points of configuration, and provides consolidated accounting and billing.
The integration of DPI with In-line Services allows you to manage your network and services by subscriber or even per application – all in real-time, while allowing you to eliminate external lower-reliability elements. Managing these services with subscriber and session awareness allows you to grow the services only across the subscribers that need the service.
By fully integrating the PCEF with the PGW, the PCEF has full access to mobility management and subscriber session management events; therefore, enabling policy actions to be made based on the full complement of subscriber events.
Check…Please
Session, application and network knowledge are also critical components necessary to provide a superior service experience to customers. This powerful information can be leveraged to provide a comprehensive consistent set of statistics and reports.
This unique understanding is the key to tiered and detailed billing schemes based on how mobile subscribers utilize their devices. Now, you can meet the complex and processing-intensive accounting challenges required for next-generation network deployments based on the following criteria:
–Time – minutes used, peak/off-peak, in network/out-of-network.
— Volume – packet amount, number of bytes, etc.
–Content – destination, e-mail, application, game, etc.
–Event – messaging, video downloads, etc.
–Destination – pre-paid, reverse billing, browsing ‘in-network’ or ‘out-of-network’,
–URLs
–Application – video, VoIP, instant messaging
Smart Move
One of the biggest disruptions in the mobile industry is the movement to an open, IP-based architecture designed to deliver converged voice, data and multimedia services. The emerging mobile packet technologies, HSPA and LTE, provide an all-IP infrastructure from the mobile device whether a handset, smartphone, data card or other emerging intelligent device. With all-IP networks, the door is open to providing the traditional circuit-based services, including voice and video, over the packet infrastructure.
One of the key aspects of intelligence and monetization in the EPC is the migration from circuit-based voice to packet voice and multimedia services. You must consider how to migrate and deploy an infrastructure that enables the immediate introduction of a full suite of intelligent SIP-based services that provide subscribers with a rich service experience, including video, Voice over IP (VoIP), Push to Talk over Cellular (PoC), IPTV, presence, instant messaging, and many others.
Summary
The deployment of LTE is another step in the evolution of the mobile broadband networks. While the deployment of 4G radio access networks receives considerable attention, the multimedia core network has emerged as a critical element in the delivery of next generation mobile broadband services.
Since not all EPC networks are created equal and your goals with LTE/EPC are unique, addressing these and other challenges that will come in part two and three of the series will help you work through the many aspects of evolving to and deploying the LTE/EPC network.
Jonathan Morgan is senior director of product marketing for Starent Networks, a leading provider of infrastructure solutions that enable mobile operators to deliver multimedia services.
