Tata Comm IP exchange for mobile operators
21-01-2010
The exchange allows operators to maintain existing carrier financial relationships with each other
Tata Communications has launched an IP Exchange (IPX) aimed at mobile operators. It allows mobile service providers to route all traffic, including voice, IP and signaling solutions, using one IP pipe, while maintaining end-to-end quality of service, security, multilateral connectivity and cascading payments.
The IPX is promoted as a next-generation form of network interconnection rather than a "no-incremental cost" or "free peering" fabric. The difference mostly is that the former is designed to maintain existing carrier financial relationships with each other, while the latter simply substitutes the traditional Internet peering exchange model of settlement-free interconnection.
Such exchanges are intended to maintain quality and lower the costs of transmitting IP voice end-to-end, but also are viewed as essential mechanisms for supporting new multimedia services and features as well.
The move is part of a growing shift toward such exchanges as a primary method for shifting mobile interconnection away from legacy protocols to IP methods, while preserving traditional mobile business practices and quality metrics but doing so at less cost.
IPX exchanges provide one IP gateway for many services and this helps mobile operators to protect their margins on roaming and international traffic termination, as well as supporting delivery of new services such as multimedia as well.
The Tatas say their IPX also reduces overhead costs for tasks such as network maintenance and service development, and reduces the complexity of voice routing, service testing and bilateral agreements.
Just as important, the IPX, as do other similar exchanges, allow exchange of traffic in native IP format, rather than requiring trans-coding from IP to TDM for some switching operations, then back to IP for delivery.
That not only is cumbersome but contributes directly to quality issues. So the IPX should help maintain service quality, end-to-end.
Tata Communications is a key member of the IP Interworking Alliance (IPIA), which provides operators and carriers in technical specifications and commercial templates for the IPX with the ultimate goal of facilitating global interworking of IP services.
Source: TMCnet
Tata Communications has launched an IP Exchange (IPX) aimed at mobile operators. It allows mobile service providers to route all traffic, including voice, IP and signaling solutions, using one IP pipe, while maintaining end-to-end quality of service, security, multilateral connectivity and cascading payments.
The IPX is promoted as a next-generation form of network interconnection rather than a "no-incremental cost" or "free peering" fabric. The difference mostly is that the former is designed to maintain existing carrier financial relationships with each other, while the latter simply substitutes the traditional Internet peering exchange model of settlement-free interconnection.
Such exchanges are intended to maintain quality and lower the costs of transmitting IP voice end-to-end, but also are viewed as essential mechanisms for supporting new multimedia services and features as well.
The move is part of a growing shift toward such exchanges as a primary method for shifting mobile interconnection away from legacy protocols to IP methods, while preserving traditional mobile business practices and quality metrics but doing so at less cost.
IPX exchanges provide one IP gateway for many services and this helps mobile operators to protect their margins on roaming and international traffic termination, as well as supporting delivery of new services such as multimedia as well.
The Tatas say their IPX also reduces overhead costs for tasks such as network maintenance and service development, and reduces the complexity of voice routing, service testing and bilateral agreements.
Just as important, the IPX, as do other similar exchanges, allow exchange of traffic in native IP format, rather than requiring trans-coding from IP to TDM for some switching operations, then back to IP for delivery.
That not only is cumbersome but contributes directly to quality issues. So the IPX should help maintain service quality, end-to-end.
Tata Communications is a key member of the IP Interworking Alliance (IPIA), which provides operators and carriers in technical specifications and commercial templates for the IPX with the ultimate goal of facilitating global interworking of IP services.
Source: TMCnet
