H C SONI 1

1
Relevance of Interconnect in NGN Environment

• H C Soni
• VP ITU-APT Foundation of India
• hcsoni_at_gmail.com

2
India Present status as on 31st Jan 09
Rural/Urban Tele density Rural Urban Total
Population 812,353,000 340,421,000 1,152,774,000
Total Connections 112,706,527 287,338,946 400,045,473
Tele density 13.87 84.41 34.70
Wireless Subs 102,110,629 260,184,569 362,295,198
Wireless Tele density 12.57 76.43 31.43
Landline Subs 10,595,898 27,154,377 37,750,275
Landline Density 1.30 7.98 3.27
3
What is happening

• Operators wants to penetrate into rural areas
• But People have less paying capacity (US 1-2 pm)
• Thus Tariff is reducing
• ARPU reducing

• How to balance reducing ARPU and manage growth
• Use USO for Tower, power, W/L and OFC
  penetration
• Bring in Virtual operator concept
• Share Infrastructure

4
What is infrastructure

• Passive Tower, Power, Land and Building etc.
• Active
• Switches TDM and IP based
• Transport network
• OFC
• Wireless M/W, Satellite
• Access network
• Copper Local loop
• Fiber L/D, Back Haul and FTTX
• Wireless BTS
• Applications
• Billing Systems

5
What to share?

• Example of tourism Industry
• Bulk Ticketing, Pooled Pick-up drop, Bulk hotel
  booking, Group Sight seeing, Bulk lunch/Dinner
• Thus to get maximum benefit Why not Share/Pool
• Access Network
• Carrier/Transport network
• Billing System
• Applications
• Infrastructure passive and active
• Common interconnect

6
Interconnect Issues

• Separate Network for Basic/Mobile (Voice) and for
  Data
• Huge growth- Of the order of 15 Million mobile
  connections in a month in India
• Increasing numbers of Application developers, no.
  of Oprs and their Traffic
• Every Basic/Mobile operator have to have
  interconnection (or transit through) with each
  other and with many NLD and ILD oprs

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Present Interconnection
BS3
BS2
BS1
ILDO1
NLDO1
ILDO2
NLDO2
MO3
MO2
MO1
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Results

• Sub-optimal utilization of resources
• Inefficient handling of calls
• High operational cost for managing inter operator
  connections
• Inter opr/carrier billing problems
• Complexity in settlement in Interconnect usage
  charges
• Increase in CAPEX and OPEX

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Challenges

• Reduce High interconnection cost
• Reduce Connection at different levels and at many
  places and Complex routing at every point
• Reduce Huge requirement of ports and their cost
• Physical provisions at different places causes
  delay and need more capacity
• Resolution of billing disputes/court cases

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What is the Solution NGNICE

• Open and Fragmented Architecture
• Best breed of products
• Much Better Performance
• Desired Quality of Service
• Efficient inter working
• And what not
• Thus NGN interconnect Exchanges can be best
  solution for inter connecting

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NGN/IP based Interconnect Exchange
BS3
BS2
BS1
ILDO1
NLDO1
INTERCONNECT EXCHANGE
ILDO2
NLDO2
MO3
MO2
MO1
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Domestic
International
NGN switch
NGN Net
LIS
LIS
SBC
SBC
I E
IN
MG
MG
TDM switch
TDM Net
Billing/CS
ASP
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Advantages

• Network planning fast and simple leads to
  reduction in cost and port charges
• Simple network interconnection using
  Electrical/Optical, GE/STM interfaces
• Reduction in number of links
• Simplifies digit analysis for all inter operator
  and long distance calls from the switches
  connected to it

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Advantages contd.

• Fast provision/augmentation of PoIs as everybody
  knows physical location of IC
• Integration of different service providers at one
  point
• Help in quadruple (Voice, Video, Mobile TV and
  data) play in inter opr environment
• Help in convergence of services, application and
  provisioning
• Simplification in carrier selection function

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Advantages contd.

• Integrated inter carrier billing/Clearing house
• Less connection less disputes less court cases
• Inter operator charging, based on GoS, Content
  and network elements used in interconnection
• Intelligent network services
• Easy provision in a multi opr and multi-service
  scenario
• Content can be integrated at ICE and can be
  pooled to all the operators connected to it
• Centralized LIS with artificial intelligence,
  Grid surveillance and encryption/decryption for
  voice and internet traffic

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Advantages contd.

• Low latency and guaranteed QoS
• Reduction in Capex and Opex
• Down time can be reduced with resilient multiple
  node architecture
• FMC and Femto cell concept in multi operator
  environment in case of intra roaming, thus saving
  in spectrum

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Implementation issues

• High upfront cost
• Introduction of MG in case of TDM switches with
  E1/STM connectivity
• Introduction of SBC in case of IP based switches
  with GE/MPLS connectivity
• In domestic networks interconnect exchange (one
  or two depending on the business case) at
  charging area level and at Metro-city level
• Duplicate connectivity or connectivity through
  Self healing rings

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Implementation issues contd.

• Migrating TDM switches to IP based architecture
• Circumventing Security risks and ensuring hassle
  free LI
• For few years existing Interconnect regime has to
  continue and in parallel NGN based interconnect
  Exchange
• Duplication till full shift to IP/ICE but better
  in long run
• UASL operator with centralized control of MG/SBC
  distributed in service area

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Implementation issues contd.

• NLD/ILD operators may have centralized control at
  two places for geographical redundancy
• By and by migration to NGN switches in the
  network and IP based interconnection
• Integrating Voice, Video, Data IPTV
• Charging scenario will change but will be more
  versatile Old Distance/Time based may be
  replaced by NGN based QoS, B/W, Appln,
  Supplementary VAS

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Who will do it?

• Regulator and licencer terms to be redefined
  with light touch approach
• All stake holders to come to gather
• By incumbent operator or by other or by a
  separate independent operator
• Management by To be decided by all stake holders
• This is about ICE What about others?

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So Perhaps in Future NGN will give

• Separate access providers DSL, Wi-Fi, WiMAX,
  FTTX, GSM, CDMA, 3G, 4G and xG etc
• Separate network provider with NGN core
• Separate long/short distance connectivity
  providers by most Optimal Carrier Ethernet
• Separate Infra Tower, Power, BTS providers
• Separate Application Service providers
• Strong Marketers with innovative Tariff
  Products giving cheapest service to Public
• Bring MVNO/ Virtual Operator concept AND
• Specialized people will maintain different
  entities, conveniently and in the
• Cheapest way

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Thank You