Starent Networks today announced a host of in-line services it is embedding in its long-term evolution (LTE) packet core platform, which will ultimately allow operators to optimize network traffic for specific customers, applications and network conditions as well as implement detailed billing schemes to individual subscribers.
At the heart of the solution is deep packet inspection (DPI), a technology that allows the operator to dissect and classify every packet in the network and then apply any of innumerable policies and quality of service (QoS) levels to each transaction or data session. For instance, a network firewall could detect and block denial of service attack from a hacker. An application monitor could identify peer-to-peer traffic and limit the overall transport and radio bandwidth allowed to peer-to-peer sessions. Or a content charging engine could distinguish between a video stream coming from a carrier’s partner versus one from a third-party, allowing the carrier to bill a reduced rate for the former or a higher rate for the later.
As operators make the transition to 4G, they’ll be able to offer enormous amounts of bandwidth to individual customers, but, according to Starent CEO Ashraf Dahod, they’ll also have to figure out ways to differentiate their service in order compete and avoid becoming mere fat pipes. What’s also implied, yet unstated, is that the 4G network will face the same strains from power users and abusers as wireline broadband networks. While LTE will considerably boost network capacity, it certainly won’t be unlimited. Bandwidth-sucking peer-to-peer and video-streaming apps could create massive congestion in operators radio and transport networks as well as apportion a majority of limited network resources to a few users. Though operators aren’t likely to shut those users down completely, they may opt to control the width of the pipe available to them or charge higher rates for higher-bandwidth apps.
Starent is not the first vendor to apply DPI to the mobile network, but it is one of the few integrating it directly into the evolved packet core of the LTE network. Instead of using an external server where all data traffic is routed for inspection, Starent is loading its services suite directly into its network gateways, thus packets are scanned at their entry point to the network. The fewer hops a packet takes, the lower the latency, which Starent believes will be a critical metric when dealing with VoIP and other real-time services.
Starent is a mobile core network specialist that has been trying to translate its expertise in CDMA and UMTS 3G gateways into success in the 4G packet core. So far, it seems to have succeeded. Starent won a piece of Verizon evolved packet core contract, along with Alcatel-Lucent and Ericsson, which will likely deploy the 4G core elements while Starent provides the bridge gateways between VZW’s CDMA EV-DO and LTE networks. Meanwhile, vendors like Motorola have begun tapping Starent to provide specific gateway elements for their own packet core portfolios
