Roaming Ecosystem in LTE

PSCR 2010 Winter Conference

Martin Guilfoyle
BJ Neal

Agenda

! Introduction to standards bodies (3GPP etc.) and The

GSM Association

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!
!

Work items being undertaken in GSMA

Introduction to roaming, data clearing and settlement
Introducing IPX
LTE roaming interfaces and scenarios

Introduction to Standards
Bodies

Introduction to Standards Bodies

!
!
!
!
!
!

Originally there were several regional standards bodies

USA ATIS
Europe ETSI
China CCSA
Korea TTA
Japan ARIB and TTC

Introduction to Standards Bodies

ATIS

CCSA
ETSI
TTA
ARIB
& TTA

http://www.3gpp.org
5

GSM Association

! Headquarters in Dublin and London

! Headed by a CEO Board and Executive
Management Council

! Three categories of membership:

Full member (GSM operators)
Associate member (suppliers, vendors etc.)
Rapporteur member (non-GSM operators)
Information about membership:
http://www.gsmworld.com/about/membership/
index.shtml

! Working groups
Working groups meet regularly to address specific
areas related to wireless communications and
roaming
Comprised of volunteers
6

GSMA Working Groups

! Billing and Accounting

Roaming Group (BARG)

Supports international roaming,
focusing on financial,
administrative and procedural
issues.

! Interconnect Working Group

(IWG)

Created by the GSMA to bridge

the technology gap between
the multiple incompatible
technologies.

! Inter-Working Roaming Expert

Group (IREG)

Specifies technical, operational

and performance issues
supporting international
roaming.

! Roaming and Interconnect in

LTE (RiLTE)

Responsible for defining how

roaming and interconnection
will be enabled in LTE.

! Transferred Account Data

Interchange Group (TADIG)

Responsible for defining data
interchange procedures
between operators.
7

Introduction to Roaming

Steps to Implementing Roaming

Agreements

! GSMA provides roaming agreement templates to help

operators establish roaming agreements. However,

operators are free to modify them or create their own

! Roaming partners negotiate the roaming agreements,

then perform network testing and billing testing before

going live
Network testing (IREG testing) test calls to ensure roamers can
use the VPMNs services
Billing testing (TADIG testing) test TAP records to ensure billing
information is captured correctly and can be processed by the
HPMNs billing system

Roaming Agreements

! AA.12, International Roaming Agreement

General terms and conditions

! AA.13, International Roaming Agreement common

annexes

Items specific to the roaming agreement between the two

roaming partners
Examples:
Agreed settlement procedure (e.g., direct payment, netting)
Testing
Security
Signaling interconnection and/or IP connectivity
Data privacy
Fraud prevention procedures

10

Roaming Agreements

! AA.14, International Roaming Agreement individual

annexes

Published by an operator to specify items that apply to all

roaming that takes place in its network
Examples:
Contacts
Services available
Interoperator tariffs (IOT)
Invoicing information
Customer care information
Testing and testing contacts
Data privacy
Fraud prevention procedures
Billing and transfer information
BID annexes
11

Transfer Accounting Protocol (TAP)

! Provides a method to exchange billing records between

roaming partners

! Defined in the Transfer Accounting Data Interest Group

(TADIG) of GSMA

! Used to provide a monthly financial (MFS) statement of

usage

! MFS is used to settle positions, how much do you owe,

how much are you owed

! Financial settlement is based on the MFS

12

TAP Flow
SERVE
OPERATOR
(VPMN)

VPMN
OPERATORS
BILLING
VENDOR

CALL EVENT RAW DATA

(GSM Standard 12.05)

ROAMER CALL
EVENTS (TAP
FORMAT)

YOU AS THE VPMN

DATA
CLEARING
HOUSE

VALID ROAMER
CALL EVENTS TAP
FILE

HOME
OPERATOR
(HPMN)

HPMN
OPERATORS
BILLING
VENDOR

OTHER
CLEARING
HOUSE

YOUR ROAMING PARTNER

13

Introduction to IPeXchange
(IPX)

GSMA - IP eXchange (IPX)

! Developed by the GSMA in cooperation with GSMA operator

members

Evolution of GRX (GPRS Roaming Exchange)

! The IP eXchange (IPX) provides a commercial and technical solution

to manage IP traffic

! The IPX is an interconnect service that is offered by a variety of

carriers on a competitive basis but with common agreed technical

specifications and using consistent commercial models

! The managed network environment is traffic engineered to support

specific IP services at specific quality levels

! The IPX solution is a premium quality solution that promises error-

free delivery of traffic while offering the flexibility to apply an

appropriate level of quality as demanded by each different class of
service
15

Value for Network Operators

! One network multiple services reduced cost

Facilitating ease of use and reduce OPEX

Higher throughput with lower cost
Quicker time to market for service interworking efficient growth

! Differentiated CoS and end-to-end QoS with SLA

Unlike the Internet, will ensure a level of service and security

! Interworking between IMS and legacy systems

Facilitating migration to next generation networks

! Improved agreement management and cascade billing

Ensuring higher level of revenue assurance

! Session-aware interworking
Better network control

16

IP Packet eXchange

MPLS will enable QoS and CoS.

Customers asking for QoS now

Current CRX, GRX, messaging

and signaling

Multiple services over one network

17

IPX Security

! Commercial agreements give protection to all players

Those connected to the IPX agree to sign up to a security code of
conduct and a trusted community is created

! The IPX is not addressable from the Internet which makes attacks
much more difficult

! Individual operator traffic is segregated thus localizing any security

breaches

! End user terminals have no visibility of the IPX

They are unable to probe the core networks involved in the management
and delivery of the IP services

IPX is a private backbone network

18

Services Enablement from

Syniverse IPX

!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!

Signaling (Sigtran services)

CDMA/GPRS/LTE roaming
WLAN roaming
IPX Transport Services
Message interworking (MMS, SMS)
IP voice telephony (VoIP) interworking
IPX Interworking Services
IP video telephony interworking
Push-to-talk over cellular
Advanced messaging and presence (GSMA RCS)
IPX is much more than a roaming network
19

LTE Roaming Scenarios &

Interfaces

LTE Roaming Scenarios and

Interfaces

! Signaling for registration and authentication is based on

diameter interfaces

! Our main focus is on:

S6a MME to HSS
S6d SGSN to HSS
S9 hPCRF to vPCRF

! LTE to LTE only roaming

! CDMA to LTE roaming
! GSM to LTE roaming
21

LTE Only Roaming Interfaces

LTE Roaming Inter PS PMN Public PMN
PCRF

eNB

eNB

eNB

Router
HLR

MME

HSS

SGW

PGW

SGSN~P
DSN

GGSN
~HA

E-UTRA ~ BTS, BSC, RNC

Access Circuit

MPLS
COS/QoS
QCI Values
per
interface

EPC

Diameter
Proxy

eNB
eNB

Router

MME

PCRF
eNB

eNB

HLR

MME

HSS

SGW

PGW

SGSN~P
DSN

GGSN
~HA

Access Circuit

eNB

eNB
E-UTRA ~ BTS, BSC, RNC

EPC

Key
S9
S8
S6a
S10
PS Hosted Apps

HSS: Home Subscriber Server

MME: Mobility Management Entity
SGW: Serving Gateway
PGW: PDN Gateway
22

LTE Roaming Only Logical TAP Flow

LTE Roaming Inter PS PMN Public PMN
Home Network
PCRF

Billing
System

MME

HSS

SGW

PGW

SGSN~P
DSN

GGSN
~HA

Router
Access Circuit

MPLS
COS/QoS
QCI Values
per
interface

EPC

DCH
Visited
Network

TAP
Creation

HLR

PCRF

Router
HLR

MME

HSS

SGW

PGW

SGSN~P
DSN

GGSN
~HA

EPC

Diameter
Proxy

Access Circuit

Key
S9
S8
S6a
S10

HSS: Home Subscriber Server

MME: Mobility Management Entity
SGW: Serving Gateway
PGW: PDN Gateway

23

LTE Roaming Only TAP Flow

!
!
!
!

Call flow is PS entity roaming in another PS LTE market

CDR is generated by serving gateway
CDR is sent to TAP creation
CDR is turned into TAP record, rated and placed in TAP
file

! TAP file is sent to Data Clearing House (DCH)

! DCH forwards the TAP file to home network billing
system

24

Syniverse: Who We Are

!

Global provider of market-leading solutions

that simplify the complexities of roaming,
messaging, network interoperability and
business intelligence for mobile operators,
MSOs, enterprise verticals and emerging
mobile providers

Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, with offices

in major cities around the globe
Europe, Middle East & Africa headquarters:
Utrecht, The Netherlands
Caribbean and Latin America headquarters:
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Asia Pacific headquarters: Hong Kong

More than 1,300 employees in over 25

countries around the world; about 850 in
North America

25

Simplifying Complexity
Industry growth and proliferation of
technologies has significantly increased
operator complexity and cost
GPRS

LTE
Entel
PCS

SMS

KDDI

Entel
PCS

MMS

Sprint

GSM

KDDI

Sprint

CDMA
HSDPA

1xRTT
Verizon
Wireless

IP

AT&T

Rogers
Wireless

which Syniverse simplifies.

C7
China
Unicom

SS7

Billing
Formats

Orange

EV-DO

TMobile

Rogers
Wireless

TMobile

China
Unicom

Vodafone

Network Protocols

Mobile Data

Verizon
Wireless

AT&T

Vodafone

Roaming
Orange

WiMAX

Continued technological change drives increased complexity

26

Top-Tier Customers; Global Presence

We serve the top ten operators in North America and
nine of the top ten global operators.
TeliaSonera
Rogers

Telus
Bell Mobility

Vodafone
BT

AT&T

T-Mobile
Sprint Nextel

VimpelCom

Orange

O2

T-Mobile International

Sparkle

Verizon

US Cellular

Belgacom

SFR

Telefonica
TELCEL

China Mobile

Hutchison 3G UK

America Movil

TATA
Orascom

Claro

China Unicom

SK Telecom
SmartFone
Vodafone

Orange HK

Reliance Infocom
StarHub
SingTel
Maxis

VIVO
Telefonica
MTN Group

TELSTRA

CTI
Nextel International

New Zealand Telecom

More than 800 customers in over 160 countries

27

Track Record of Innovation

Wireless
Subscribers
Demand
Roaming
Solution

Industry Developments/Issues
Roaming
Standards
Develop

Wireless
Subscribers
Demand
Roaming
Solution

GSM
Operators
Launch
Data
Networks

Rampant Fraud

Wireless
Carriers
Migrate
to SS7

Wireless
Subscribers
Demand
International
Roaming

Operators
Demand SMS
interoperability

CDMA
Subscribers
Demand
Global
Coverage

FCC
Mandates
WLNP

Complete
Clearing
Solutions
for
Operators

CDMA
Operators
Launch
Data
Solutions

Wireless
Operators
Seek
Multimedia
Capabilities

1990s

1980s
Clearing and
Settlement
Follow Me
Roaming Plus

Outsourced
SS7
Hub Provider

Call
Processing

Signaling
Solutions

NRTRDE
Anti-fraud
Solution
For GSM
Operators

2000s

SMS-IG

Syniverse
DataNet

INPackSM
UniRoam

FraudX
Authentication
Center

Global
Market
Demand for
SMS, MMS,
IM

Number
Portability
Suite of
Services

Syniverse Solutions

Mobile Data
Roaming

Financial
Clearing
House

Syniverse
NEXTSM
Advanced
Messaging

MMS-IG

28

Q&A

Thank You!
Martin Guilfoyle
Vice President Research & Development

BJ Neal

Chief Network Architect