Europe : GIGA STREAM is announcing its Universal Navigation Switch (UNS) platform and is setting the pace in the design of voice, data and video service nodes for next-generation wireless networks that will be the life-blood of 3G and WLAN / WiFi service offerings. The UNS facilitates a smooth migration from the current TDM, ATM transport towards all-IP internetworking.

Inset is Thomas Maul, founder and CEO of GIGA STREAM quoted below.

The Mobile operators spent a great deal of money on 3G licenses and are now finding it increasingly difficult to create applications that will satisfy their customers let alone make a profit. They built-up mobile infrastructure – in order to comply with regulatory requirements - that resulted in a complex set of network equipment. This has become difficult to manage and to maintain during operation and the introduction of new services and applications is, in consequence, a very expensive and time-consuming task.

The UNS network switch will dramatically reduce the complexity and integration effort for mobile operators. It will increase the adoption rate of new applications thus satisfying end-user demand. It will also centralize operational functions and add value with the integration of the various networks and topologies into a single platform. This will ensure full, seamless interworking of all wireless and Internet technologies.

“Such an integration task won’t happen overnight”, says Thomas Maul, Founder and CEO of GIGA STREAM: “For this reason we have chosen a 4 phase plan. The initial phase, implemented in most GSM networks today, took care of the introduction of data into voice centric mobile networks. With the official presentation of the UNS platform at the Telecoms 2003 Show in Geneva, GIGA STREAM sets the pace with the integration of the various wireless access technologies and the optimization of the mobile core network. This is the right time to introduce our UNS. Mobile operators clearly understand the value of our integration capabilities.”

How the UNS works
Switching functionality is divided into two elements: a control plane comprising the routing algorithms and call control, and an intelligent transport plane that establishes and maintains the voice and data paths. GIGA STREAM’s exclusive content sensitive traffic management (CSTM) provides full application-aware visibility into network traffic, facilitating new high value business and consumer applications including customized services, SLAs, location based services, alternative billing methods and seamless roaming between Radio Access Networks and WLANs.

The UNS platform is designed with IPv6 and MPLS in mind. The topology modules provide connectivity to Gigabit Ethernet, ATM and E1 with support for SS7 signalling. The solution is designed for today’s 3GPP standards (rel 99, v4) based on ATM in the RAN (radio access Network) and core network, but can be easily upgraded to an all-IP core.

The Operator Benefits
Because the integration and functionality is on a single platform, dramatic cost savings can be achieved – up to 70% in capital expenditure and up to 50% in operating expenses, as compared with multi-component switching products. Single-platform integration also greatly simplifies capacity planning, security and network management. And service delivery may be direct or via Virtual Operators so that carriers may sell-on their excess capacity.
Accelerated time-to-market and enhanced competitiveness are additional benefits thanks to advanced features such as seamless interworking, intelligent routing, and support for innovative billing models individualized by subscriber, service type and usage. And the UNS switches are scalable up to the highest speeds - and capacities so operators can start small and expand as needed.

The Ultimate Mobile Objective
“Having seen the convergence of voice, data and video in the wired world, 3G and WLAN are now bringing broadband technology into the wireless world. The UNS switch will be the enabler to facilitate a controlled migration,” says Thomas Maul, founder and CEO of GIGA STREAM.

“At a time when the mobile operators were hoping to recoup the costs of their 3G licenses, they are in fact seeing their margins eroded and are having to fight with a near saturated market. Their future prosperity is dependent on being able to offer new services which are in turn dependent on efficient broadband connectivity in the last mile.

“WLAN hotspots provide an effective but highly localized solution - you’d need a new antenna every 15 meters to allow the user to roam, whereas 3G covers several square miles per antenna. By providing a seamless integration between them, the UNS will enable the WLAN to complement 3G, with the user able to move back and forth between the two, once having established a session in either,” Thomas Maul concluded.