Mobile broadband gateway developer Stoke Inc. announced that it is to participate in a new, consolidated multi-vendor LTE lab test to be undertaken by BT’s Advanced Research Mobility Team.
BT has commissioned a research exercise to investigate key aspects of flat IP architectures for mobile networks, including LTE SAE (Long Term Evolution/Service Architecture Evolution). The combined efforts of Stoke, BT, as well as other partners, will help explore the potential synergies of mobile and fixed networks sharing the same basic IP architecture. The objective is to investigate how the technology could offer advanced fixed mobile convergence for its retail and wholesale business units, in a way that helps to prove vendor interoperability in key aspects of the architecture, validates key features and allows the research department to identify value-added opportunities.
“This research with Stoke enables us to explore together the opportunity to develop innovative services for current 3G environments and opportunities for evolving the architecture to 4G, said Chris Bilton, Director, Research & Technology, BT. “The program findings and vendor interoperability will provide invaluable insights to both of our companies.”
Stoke’s multi-access platform, the Stoke Session Exchange 3000 (SSX-3000), will anchor tests demonstrating BT’s capabilities in consolidating three or more different mobile network operators’ networks within a combined, highly scalable and cost effective, core infrastructure.
The key objective of interoperability testing and research activities is to identify new revenue generating opportunities to connect multiple service providers access networks into BT’s future intelligent backhaul and transport network to carry traffic from a range of wired and wireless broadband devices.
Vikash Varma, Chief Executive at Stoke, said, “We believe Stoke offers the most flexible and pragmatic addition to its LTE advanced research program. We also provide the opportunity for BT to extend its research into areas that will add direct short term and long-term benefits to BT’s business divisions and its customers as well as the ability to support a multi-vendor solution.“
In addition, BT’s expertise and mobility research labs will allow Stoke to investigate the implementation of advanced features into its portfolio.
Many of the features of Stoke’s SSX platform are already compliant with the System Architecture Evolution’s Evolved Packet Core (SAE EPC). The SSX-3000 is a carrier-grade offering ultra-high performance and density, providing EPC multi-functional access and security, while additionally delivering multi-vendor interworking. The platform has been architected to be easily repurposed for many of the functions associated with WiFi, FemtoCell and LTE gateway capabilities, together with packet data gateway (ePDG) and security gateway elements.
The key attributes that Stoke will provide to the BT research include:
· Repurposing and re-routing
· Open standards
· 3G / 4G Evolution
