Huawei presents the telecom networks of the future

Mobile softswitches simplify telecom network structures and help operators upgrade their existing networks. Wang Jiading, vice president of Huawei's MENA operations, presented this breakthrough terminal product at the MENA Mobile Forum in Dubai on May 15, 2006. By using mobile softswitches, telecom operators can enhance network quality, develop new services uniformly and flexibly, and save long distance transmission resources.

'The mobile softswitch market development is overthrowing the traditional telecom market pattern. Even though deploying 3G networks will bring in new revenues for telecom operators, the service needs to be rolled out in a phased manner. The deployment of new 3G services, along with the expansion of existing telecom networks, presents a huge challenge and a great opportunity for regional operators. With mobile softswitches, Huawei now offers a brand new choice to 3G operators and mobile subscribers throughout the world,'

said Jiading.

'It is significant as it shows the industry that we have moved beyond our role of a supplier of communications system equipment,' he added.

According to Jiading, the key concern of telecom operators continues to focus on the inevitable convergence between softswitch solutions and the IMS systems (the IP Multimedia Subsystem developed originally by the 3G mobile community, is now seen by many service providers (not just by vendors) as the key to migrating legacy wireline networks towards IP, next-generation networks, and voice over IP). In order to adapt to the IP-based service development in the future, several operators are now considering the option of building a brand new network. A mobile softswitch works with IMS systems and thus eliminates the need for new networks; when used in a GSM network, a mobile softswitch can save up to 20 per cent of the operation costs compared to traditional switches.

'It speeds up the launch of new services to the market because of the centralised maintenance management. The success of mobile softswitch proves the advantages of IP technology in the networking and service deployment. This explains why many GSM operators are attracted to deploying and reconstructing their GSM core networks with softswitch solutions,' said Jiading.

Huawei's mobile soft-switch is based on packet switch technology, and adopts advanced technologies; it can be shared by GSM and WCDMA and supports the smooth evolution from GSM to WCDMA. As a leading supplier of softswitch, Huawei has deployed more than 32 mobile softswitch networks for commercial application in 27 countries.