Wireless Softswitch
Evolving the Core Network for Next Generation Wireless

Summary

Originally published in 2003, this updated report is still the only published research at this time that focuses specifically on softswitch technology and business for the wireless marketplace.

This Wireless Softswitch report will answer your most important questions including:

• What is a "softswitch"? Why deploy it? What are the issues and challenges?
• Why softswitch is especially important for the wireless marketplace and how it fits into the network?
• How does softswitch technology/capabilities complement the evolution of next generation wireless networks?
• Who are the leading wireless softswitch equipment suppliers and what are there architectural approaches?

Structure/Outline

Business focus:

• Business inspiration and rational for softswitch in wireless networks
• Forecast for wireless softswitch market opportunities including both service provider and vendor perspective
• Vendor profiles, technology and business focus comparison including: TELOS Technology, Lucent Technologies, Spatial Wireless, Santera Systems, Sonus Networks, and Tekelec.

Technical focus:

• Softswitch components, architecture, and functionality
• Comparison of softswitch for fixed and wireless networks
• Softswitch functionality and interface to the wireless network
• Technical requirements for deploying softswitch for wireless networks
• Softswitch's role in evolution of wireless to next generation networks
• Overview of wireless softswitch applications

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Softswitch

2.1. Introduction

2.2. Standards Bodies

2.3. Benefits of implementing a Softswitch model

2.4. Components of a softswitch based network

2.5. Protocols employed in softswitch

2.5.1. Gateway Protocols

2.5.2. Media Protocols

2.5.3. Signaling protocols

3. Wireless softswitch

3.1. Gist of wireless systems evolution

3.2. Industry associations and Standards bodies

3.3. Softswitch in Wireless Core Network

3.3.1. 2G and 2.5G networks

3.3.2. 3GPP UMTS architecture

3.3.3. 3GPP2 CDMA2000 architecture

3.4. Key Components in R5 architecture

3.4.1. Circuit Switched Domain

3.4.2. Packet Switched Domain

3.4.3. IP Multimedia Subsystem

3.4.4. Common elements

3.5. Differences from Wireline softswitch

3.6. Benefits of implementing Wireless softswitch

3.7. Wireless softswitch applications

4. Market Perspective and forecasts

4.1. Service Provider perspective

4.1.1. Business case

4.1.2. Challenges

4.2. Softswitch component vendors

4.3. Forecast

5. Conclusion and Recommendations

6. Softswitch Equipment Vendor profiles

6.1. Companies that have been interviewed

6.1.1. TELOS technology

6.1.2. Lucent Technologies

6.1.3. Spatial Wireless

6.1.4. Santera Systems

6.1.5. Sonus Networks

6.1.6. Tekelec

6.2. Companies mentioned

6.3. Comparison Matrix

7. Technical History

7.1. Evolution of wireless standards

7.1.1. First Generation Systems

7.1.2. Second Generation Wireless Systems

7.1.3. Wireless Network Architecture

7.1.4. 2.5G

7.1.5. 2.75G

7.1.6. 3G

7.1.7. 4G

7.1.8. WLAN and WPAN