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Mobile Packet Core takes center stage at IEEE ComSoc SCV Jan 13, 2010 meeting + 3G and WiMAX in India!

IEEE ComSoc SCV is fortunate enough to have two "alumni" speakers from Tellabs (Rehan Jalil) and Cisco (Jay Iyer) for our Jan 13th panel session.  Our panel moderator will be ComSocSCV Technical Activities Director Sameer Herlekar. 

Since the speaker/panelist and moderator are from India (and I spend all my mornings with Indian people at the ICC in Milpitas) we are going to expand the panel session to also include the three participants views of mobile broadband in India.  Of course, that will depend on the oft delayed auction for 3G/ BWA spectrum that is now scheduled to be held in early January.  While there won't be any slides or presentation from the speakers on that topic, they will provide you with their perspective and outlook. 
 
Why is this subject important?  Because India has been and will continue to be the largest market for cellphones.  Intel thinks it will be a huge market for netbooks and net tops- low cost PCs with WiMAX built in.  Cisco and others believe India will potentially be a very large 3G mobile broadband market.
 
To highlight the importance of the mobile packet core- the topic for our Jan 13th panel session meeting- please refer to this excellent article from Telephony On-line:
 
Mobile core wars

The mobile packet core is emerging as the new battleground in wireless, pitting the big mobile vendors against a new generation of specialty core suppliers

http://telephonyonline.com/3g4g/news/mobile-core-wars-1221/
 
And there's a whole lot more:
 
Cisco recently completed its acquisition of Starent Network
http://www.ciol.com/Technology/Networking/News-Reports/Cisco-completes-acquisition-of-Starent-Networks/211209129166/0/
 
While Tellabs earlier completed its acquisition of silicon valley based WiChorus
http://www.tellabs.com/news/2009/index.cfm/nr/83.cfm
 
And these previously published articles for background information and analysis:
 
http://viodi.com/2009/10/22/tellabs-to-acquire-wichorus-to-extend-its-mobile-backhaul-product-portfolio/
 
http://www.wimax.com/commentary/blog/blog-2009/october-2009/cisco-enters-market-for-ip-based-mobile-infrastructure-via-acquisition-of-starent-networks-1014
 

We hope to meet and greet all SF Bay area ComSoc Community members at this meeting

 Happy New Year!

Alan Weissberger, ScD

IEEE ComSoc SCV Program Chair

www.comsocscv.org

Author Alan Weissberger

View all posts by Alan Weissberger | Website

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7 responses to “Mobile Packet Core takes center stage at IEEE ComSoc SCV Jan 13, 2010 meeting + 3G and WiMAX in India!”

  1. Truden Avatar
    Truden

    Hello,
    Interesting, did you plan to continue this article?
    Truden

    Reply
    1. Alan Weissberger Avatar
      Alan Weissberger

      Truden,
      I will continue the article AFTER I receive the abstracts of the speakers and panel moderator.
      What would you like to see in a continued/ follow up article?
      alan
       

      Reply
  2. Alan Weissberger Avatar
    Alan Weissberger

    Quote from Current Analysis on Importance of Mobile Packet Core:

     
    Peter Jarich, wireless infrastructure analyst with Current Analysis. The core has always been an important element in 3G and even 2.5G; what's changed is the importance vendors have assigned to it as part of their overall strategies, Jarich said.
    "The core is simply becoming a bigger focus for the vendors," Jarich said. "You can't take the attitude that the data traffic is exploding and data services are becoming more sophisticated and then not have a robust mobile core."
    The packet core may not bring in the same money as RAN deployment, but it provides a critical link between the RAN and other elements of the network. (It's no coincidence that Cisco and Tellbabs have major interests in the backhaul and transport.) The core is also becoming a much more central repository of intelligence in the network. Instead of merely pushing packets, the core is where new features such as quality of service, policy management and deep packet inspection will reside.

    Reply
  3. Alan Weissberger Avatar
    Alan Weissberger

    Details and logistics for IEEE ComSoc SCV Jan 13th meeting are at:  http://www.comsocscv.org
    Please RSVP if you are planning to attend

    Reply
  4. Alan Weissberger Avatar
    Alan Weissberger

    I am very pleased to announce that Arpit Joshipura of Ericsson will be joining our Jan. 13th ComSoc-SCV panel session to articulate Ericsson's position on the Mobile Packet Core/Evolved Packet Core as well as broadband wireless in India.  Arpit gave a superb talk at our November 09 meeting on the convergence of LTE and IP.  Please welcome him on Wednesday along with our panelists from Cisco and Tellabs.  Try to arrive at 6pm for networking, cheese, crackers, and soft drinks.
     

    Eric Andrews, VP of Product Management for WiChorus/Tellabs Company, will be replacing Rehan Jalil on the panel . WiChorus is a leading supplier of smart 4G packet core solutions (e.g WiMAX ASN Gateway) that enable operators to support massive bandwidth, optimize their network resources and monetize the internet.

    ——————————————————————————————————————————–
    Here are a few Mobile Packet Core questions/issues intended to stimulate panel session discussion:
     
    -What's the position of the mobile packet core (MPC) in the end to end network?  Is it really in the core network or at the edge of the IP backbone network?
     
    -Why are there different versions of the mobile packet core (MPC) for 3G data networks (GPRS core), mobile WiMAX (ASN Gateway) and LTE (Evolved Packet Core)? 
     
    -Is mobility management handled differently for each of these mobile networks?
     
    -Are the functions restricted to mobility and session management?  If not, what are the other functions of the MPC?
     
    -How are the functions realized in hardware, software platforms?  Will they eventually be integrated into distributed IP routers?
     
    -What are the interface(s) between the RAN and MPC; between the MPC and IP backbone routers?   Are there solid standards for these interfaces?
     
    -Is the public Internet assumed to be the IP backbone or could it be a private IP network or VPN?
     
    -What distinguishes a "smart" mobile packet core from a regular MPC?  Are the additional functions and features standardized or part and parcel of a vendor's "secret sauce?"
     
    -Some vendors, like Ericsson and Huawei, provide a complete mobile solution including RAN equipment as well as a MPC.  Other, like Tellabs/Wichorus and Cisco/Starent, provide "best of breed" MPC gear and interface to other vendors RAN equipment.  What are the merits and pitfalls of each approach?  In particular, consider RAN-MPC standards, interoperability and finger pointing when a problem arises.
     
    -What equipment manages and restores the Mobile Packet core?  In the event of a catastrophic failure, what type of redundancy and/or protection is available?
     
    -Will the mobile packet core evolve to support mobile video- both on the RAN as well as a broadcast mobile DTV network? 
     
    -What type of additional functionality will be required for mobile DTV (which operates on different spectrum and doesn't use the RAN/Internet for video distribution).

    Reply
  5. Alan Weissberger Avatar
    Alan Weissberger

    The complete meeting summary report can be read at: 
    http://community.comsoc.org/blogs/srherlekar/mobile-packet-core-bwa-india-talks-and-panel-discussions-report-ieee-comsoc-scv-cha

    Reply

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