Joint Lab Tests show potential for stand-alone Security Gateways in LTE networks
SANTA CLARA, CALIF., February 27, 2012: - BT’s Advanced Research Mobility Team and mobile broadband gateway developer Stoke Inc. have completed joint lab trials investigating different deployment models for LTE networks.
The tests, initiated in February, 2011, were designed to explore potential synergies between mobile and fixed networks and examine a variety of options for LTE transport connectivity.
“This research with Stoke has enabled us to determine some high-potential opportunities 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, especially the proof of vendor interoperability, have provided invaluable insights which will help formulate next steps in proving our findings.”
Stoke’s Security eXchange was used to examine aspects of scalability, enhanced security, and multi-tenant network sharing scenarios, and acted as an anchor device in enabling the demonstration of different architectural strategies for LTE deployment.
BT and Stoke are now able to define new architectural strategies that provide important information for LTE license holders. “With spectrum owners looking at options ranging from build-own-operate to complete outsourcing arrangements, there are many unanswered questions. The test results shed much-needed light onto the feasibility of LTE rollout options, and point the way to some viable alternatives,” said Dave Williams, Chief Technology Officer at Stoke “We are very pleased to support BT in extending its research into areas that will rapidly add value to its business divisions and customers. Additionally, the trials have helped us to develop advanced new features for our platform.”
The tests utilized equipment from a variety of vendors; Stoke’s Security eXchange successfully demonstrated seamless interoperability and transparency with all vendors’ equipment including RAN, backhaul transport, caching, timing and synchronization and EPC. The results also highlighted the value of: selecting multi-vendor, best-of-breed equipment to enable a variety of flexible deployment options; validation of the imperative for scalable security in mixed networks; and the advantages of the standalone secure aggregation gateway in enabling distributed deployment of the function at different points in the network.
The growth in LTE deployments, migration challenges and the pros and cons of an embedded versus a standalone approach to security within the EPC core network is explored in an IDC white paper, sponsored by Stoke, ‘The Role of Best-of-Breed Solutions in LTE Deployments’ published February 23, 2012. The paper [1] also outlines some of the opportunities created for operators in deploying a standalone approach.
“As IP injects itself deeper into service providers’ LTE networks, operators face new and unfamiliar challenges,” said John Byrne, Research Director, Wireless Infrastructure at IDC Research. “In the specific area of security, operators must keep pace with growing network loads, unpredictable traffic patterns and increasingly complex network architectures with the result that flexibility and scalability are becoming key requirements. We believe that operators taking a long-term view toward maintaining high performance as LTE network loads increase may wish to consider adopting standalone solutions to help manage growing signaling loads, ensure the highest levels of security possible, and maintain the ultra-low latency performance that LTE can deliver.”
Stoke also demonstrated the secure backhaul capabilities of its Security eXchange during the successful Multi-Service Forum Voice over LTE trials in September, 2011 further adding to the number of LTE vendors proven to interoperate with the Stoke Security eXchange. The product was recently named winner of Mobility Tech Zone’s LTE Visionary Award and was a finalist in the November, 2011 Light Reading Leading Lights awards. Stoke will showcase the Security eXchange together with its Wi-Fi eXchange and Service eXchange systems together with new offerings at Mobile World Congress, Barcelona, February 27 – March 1, 2012.
About BT Innovate and Design BT Innovate & Design is responsible for the innovation, design, development and delivery of the processes, networks and platforms that run the BT business. The organisation leads on innovation on behalf of the whole company. It strives to bring new ideas, products and services to market faster, more cost effectively, efficiently and at higher quality than ever before. BT Innovate & Design also delivers strategic innovation and technology vision for BT through effective and coherent engagement with other parts of the business as well through powerful relationships with third party organisations – including some of the world’s most famous academic institutions. The organisation’s IT professionals have a strong track record in the delivery and development of systems and solutions, and in managing a secure and resilient infrastructure. The innovations developed at BT’s laboratories at Adastral Park near Ipswich, UK, provide BT with a world-class science and engineering base for the design and delivery of next-generation converged networks and services.
About Stoke, Inc.
Stoke delivers transformative gateway solutions for navigating mobile broadband’s new frontiers. Stoke mobile network gateway solutions address today’s challenges using creative approaches, enabling mobile operators to manage traffic growth and increase the efficiency, reliability, and scope of mobile data services. Stoke is backed by prominent venture capital firms and carriers including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Sequoia Capital, Focus Ventures, and NTT Docomo. For more information, visit www.stoke.com.
[1] The IDC white paper ‘The Role of Best-of-Breed Solutions in LTE Deployments’ is is available for download here.
