We discuss the following topics in this blog:
- CSPs to Boost Revenue & Offer Superior User Experience.
- Monetizing Policy & Charging.
- Key Features of NetVertex PCC.
In addition to these topics, we shall also be answering the following FAQs:
- What is WiFi?
- What is an Optical Fibre Cable?
Contents
How CSPs can Leverage This Opportunity to Boost Revenue & Offer Superior User Experience?
High reliance on the internet and increasing smartphone usage are influencing day-to-day activities of consumers. There is a growing need for uninterrupted high-speed internet access, interactive value-added services, and continuous evolution in data networks, which all pushes communication service providers (CSPs) to offer personalized services to stay ahead of the competition.
Customers today prefer multiple services like voice, video and data from a single CSP and expect these services to be invoiced in a single consolidated bill. Market dynamics compel CSPs to go beyond traditional network management to increase income and offer better user experience.
Monetizing Policy & Charging
Sterlite Tech NetVertex Policy Control & Charging (PCC) is intuitive, dynamic and offers the real-time capability to CSPs. NetVertex PCC makes policy enforcement decisions in real-time and charges appropriate rates based on the services, applications, network resources, user profile and service-level agreement to ensure appropriate rating and charging for quality of service and bandwidth allocation.
Integrated PCC enables operators to not just control subscriber entitlement and network resources, it also charges an integrated framework of real-time policy management and charging. By running policy and charging from a common framework, operators can offer innovative, convenient and flexible ways to subscribers for accessing on-demand services, real-time upgrades, service passes and advice-of-charge alerts.
What are the Key Features of NetVertex PCC?
- Online Charging System: Online Charging System (OCS) is a highly flexible, scalable, real-time 3GPP release 12 compliant engine, which caters to the needs of CSPs providing a wide range of data and voice services. It enables CSPs to seamlessly converge Prepaid-Postpaid plans, networks and services. The robust OCS platform can be integrated with legacy platforms and next-generation IP, FTTH/HFC, wire-line and wireless networks. The platform offers system integration with operator’s existing Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) to enable new monetization use cases. It can be deployed as a standalone module or as an adjunct solution for real-time charging.
- Policy Design: It is a user-friendly, flexible and responsive Graphical User Interface (GUI) for faster policy creation. It accepts all major PCC service quality standards and charging parameters. It hides a lot of technical network complexity and allows users to enter only standard input template data in their local language. Single policy designer is enough to handle any number of Sterlite Tech PCC instances.
- Policy Control: Sterlite Tech’s PCRF is a 3GPP 12 compliant next-gen solution enabling CSPs to deliver service agility, data monetization and process optimization. It works in a converged environment with proven interoperability and wide partner ecosystem. The GUI-based flexible architecture has simpler policy creation, high-scalability and is deployable on any COTS hardware – virtualized, on-cloud or in-premise. Aligned with policy 3.0, it takes a relationship-centric approach supporting advanced use cases like congestion control, device/location/usage/ network/APN-wise policy, usage metering, notifications, service-wise quality of service, VoLTE, top-up plans, multi-tenancy support etc.
- Diameter Signaling Control: Diameter Signaling Controller (DSC) is an intelligent signaling framework that streamlines and routes all diameter-based IP signaling communication within the LTE and IMS networks. It is compliant to IETF RFC 3588, RFC 6733, 3GPP Diameter Routing Agent (DRA) and GSMA Diameter Edge Agent (DEA) guidelines that simplify complex mesh and also improves network performance. The platform does not have any dependency on any external diameter-based load balancer. This will also reduce TCO for the overall solution.
With all these features, integrated policy and charging solutions enable CSPs with better control over networks, providing usage flexibility to empower subscribers, increasing revenues, and enabling differentiation through monetization of policy and charging.
FAQs
What is WiFi?
Put simply, WiFi is a technology that uses radio waves to create a wireless network through which devices like mobile phones, computers, printers, etc., connect to the internet. A wireless router is needed to establish a WiFi hotspot that people in its vicinity may use to access internet services. You’re sure to have encountered such a WiFi hotspot in houses, offices, restaurants, etc.
To get a little more technical, WiFi works by enabling a Wireless Local Area Network or WLAN that allows devices connected to it to exchange signals with the internet via a router. The frequencies of these signals are either 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz bandwidths. These frequencies are much higher than those transmitted to or by radios, mobile phones, and televisions since WiFi signals need to carry significantly higher amounts of data. The networking standards are variants of 802.11, of which there are several (802.11a, 802.11b, 801.11g, etc.).
What is an Optical Fibre Cable?
An optical fibre cable is a cable type that has a few to hundreds of optical fibres bundled together within a protective plastic coating. They help carry digital data in the form of light pulses across large distances at faster speeds. For this, they need to be installed or deployed either underground or aerially. Standalone fibres cannot be buried or hanged so fibres are bunched together as cables for the transmission of data.
This is done to protect the fibre from stress, moisture, temperature changes and other externalities. There are three main components of a optical fibre cable, core (It carries the light and is made of pure silicon dioxide (SiO2) with dopants such as germania, phosphorous pentoxide, or alumina to raise the refractive index; Typical glass cores range from as small as 3.7um up to 200um), Cladding (Cladding surrounds the core and has a lower refractive index than the core, it is also made from the same material as the core; 1% refractive index difference is maintained between the core and cladding; Two commonly used diameters are 125µm and 140µm) and Coating (Protective layer that absorbs shocks, physical damage and moisture; The outside diameter of the coating is typically either 250µm or 500µm; Commonly used material for coatings are acrylate,Silicone, carbon, and polyimide).
An optical fibre cable is made up of the following components: Optical fibres – ranging from one to many. Buffer tubes (with different settings), for protection and cushioning of the fibre. Water protection in the tubes – wet or dry. A central strength member (CSM) is the backbone of all cables. Armoured tapes for stranding to bunch the buffer tubes and strength members together. Sheathing or final covering to provide further protection.
The five main reasons that make this technology innovation disruptive are fast communication speed, infinite bandwidth & capacity, low interference, high tensile strength and secure communication. The major usescases of optical fibre cables include intenet connectivity, computer networking, surgery & dentistry, automotive industry, telephony, lighting & decorations, mechanical inspections, cable television, military applications and space.
