Memotec - Redefining Network Efficiency

MAKE RURAL AND REMOTE CELLULAR COMMUNICATIONS AFFORDABLE

Cellular communications in rural and remote areas can be difficult to justify economically: the cost of deploying equipment is high and the return on investment might be questionable. Although government initiatives encourage and may finance these deployments, it is important to make those communications affordable to reach out effectively to the whole population.

Voice service is the most essential need in these regions and a significant portion of these voice calls may take place between villages. While standard cellular infrastructures would backhaul the voice circuits further up in the network, the Memotec local switching feature allows these calls between villages covered by the same BTS (or BTS clusters) to be routed locally, avoiding the costs related to the upstream path. It is now easier for Mobile Operators to offer unlimited local call plans and increase their revenue thereby.

Local Switching also allows to avoid double-hop, enhancing voice quality and reducing delays, driving up customer satisfaction. Combined with the Memotec Abis Optimization, the solution provides exceptional Low cost of operation to Mobile Operators.

The Local Switching solution has been co-developed with our partner Cell & Sat.

• Adaptable to all GSM networks and to any transmission system




• Compatible with all BTS/BSC major equipments. No specific BTS/BSC upgrade is required, BTS do not need to be attached to a specific BSC vendor either.




• Integrated Abis Optimization




• Unaltered Signalling




• Transparent to Billing and other functionalities/VAS




• Seamless support of GPRS/EDGE data




• Lawful Interception Compatible




• Available on your existing Memotec equipment (software upgrade)

MEMOTEC LOCAL SWITCHING

The Memotec Local Switching function significantly reduces the amount of bandwidth required to backhaul voice traffic.

During a voice communication between two mobiles phones attached to the same BTS (or group of BTS), only the signalling is backhauled while the speech information is routed locally. At the interface with the BSC, silent speech frames are generated and transmitted together with the signalling to maintain full inter-working with the GSM network. Billing and other functionalities are therefore not disturbed.

Detection of local calls is performed by the Local Switching Call Server Manager who commands the Memotec CX-U deployed at BTS and BSC levels. The CX-Us will then loop the calls and leave the signaling portions untouched.

Local Switching is available with all major BSS systems (BTS/BSC) using TDM interface and works equally with TDM or IP transmission systems. It is compliant to GSM supplementary services while GPRS data is supported seamlessly.

The Local Switching solution has been co-developed with our partner Cell & Sat.

ABOUT CELL & SAT

Cell & Sat is an innovation company with a dual expertise in cellular and satellite technologies. With a special focus on the reduction of costs to operate GSM networks in rural areas, Cell & Sat provides optimization products and services to cellular and satellite operators willing to implement efficient terrestrial or satellite GSM backhaul. The Cell & Sat solutions benefit from the company expert knowledge in cellular 2G/3G/4G system design, satellite networking, IP QoS optimization, distributed protocol design, high efficiency database implementation.
www.cell-sat.com

Architecture

The Memotec Abis and Local Switching solution provides an economical transmission solution that connects GSM base stations. Its innovative approach to GSM Abis backhaul uses Memotec Abis optimizers augmented with Local Switching functionality. Abis optimization and Local Switching apply to BTS connected to BSC via TDM E1 interface. Backhaul transmission network can be IP or TDM.

Abis

The Memotec Abis Optimization function provides Abis link transmission savings via:

• Packetisation of the Abis interface information
• Suppression of silent speech information and idle signalling frames
• De-packetisation and reconstruction of an equivalent Abis interface at the other end

LS Speech Options

Fully compatible with standard GSM implementation. Two types of looping options are available: - Full loop/Half Loop 
 

Supported Speech Codecs

FR, EFR, HR – AMR-NB FR/HR

LS Hand Over Support

Yes

LS Lawful Interception Support

Yes

LS Coverage & Configurations

Between BTS, Clusters of BTS, Meshed

Supported Satellite Technology

SCPC, DAMA, IP VSAT – Star & Mesh architectures

Local Switching Servers Configuration

Graphical User Interface

Compatibility

Compatible with all BTS/BSC equipments. No specific BTS/BSC upgrade is required, BTS do not need to be attached to a specific BSC vendor either

Hardware

The Memotec Abis and Local Switching solution is available on the Memotec CX-U product range, and on PC servers (Local Switching Management)

Software

Local Switching is available as a remote software upgrade for any Memotec CX-U equipment