Huawei to replace Alcatel-Lucent 3G equipment

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Huawei to replace Alcatel-Lucent 3G equipment

langi27

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#157171 21-Nov-2014 18:03

Seems like a fairly major announcement if you live the world of Telco and mobile networks.

http://www.computerworld.co.nz/article/560173/spark-new-zealand-huawei-expand-partnership/?fp=16&fpid=1

Work is also commencing to use Huawei technology to upgrade Spark’s 3G network nationwide, replacing the existing equipment with a cutting edge SRAN (Single Radio Access Network) platform. SRAN is one of Huawei’s key innovations, allowing operators to support multiple network technologies (e.g. 3G, 4G) over a single ‘box’, removing the need to operate and maintain multiple networks independently.

MikeB4

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#1180984 21-Nov-2014 18:16

Excellent

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

sbiddle

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#1181011 21-Nov-2014 20:14

It's been long rumoured that Huawei would ultimately replace ALU. Single RAN is also the only way to go these days with multiple technologies, Vodafone's 3G/LTE is all using Nokia Networks single RAN kit and really delivers a superior solution, especially when you're deploying multiple technologies in the same spectrum.

matisyahu

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#1181017 21-Nov-2014 20:33

Not surprising that it has happened - it makes a lot of sense moving all to one vendor and given the reliability so far with their 4G network (which has been pretty good in my experience) then I'd say that things should be fairly reliable for their 3G network too. I'm wondering whether the move to also provide VoIP services for fibre customers (thus not requiring the installation of copper) will result in a single system that spans their wireless and fixed line services - maybe Huawei is going to provide said technologies as well so that maybe next year we'll see VoLTE arrive so then 3G becomes a fall back service. Could we also see Spark maybe offering 4G LTE over their 850Mhz and 2100Mhz as well? Interesting times ahead and it appears that with the name change at Spark there has been a new lease on life when it comes out to making changes and investing into their infrastructure.

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sbiddle

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#1181021 21-Nov-2014 20:42

Broadworks is already being deployed for their VoIP offering after numerous other solutions failed.

VoLTE is a very different IMS based solution, that in many ways is already dead before it even gets deployed.

matisyahu

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#1181031 21-Nov-2014 21:27

sbiddle: Broadworks is already being deployed for their VoIP offering after numerous other solutions failed.

VoLTE is a very different IMS based solution, that in many ways is already dead before it even gets deployed.

Ah, ok, I would have assumed at this stage there would have been some kind of solution that would unify fixed line VoIP and VoLTE into a coherent package for carriers or at least when VoLTE was being developed that it would have been developed with the idea of standardisation so it could run over various mediums.

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chevrolux

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#1181032 21-Nov-2014 21:32

Broadworks is already being deployed for their VoIP offering after numerous other solutions failed.

Have they actually figured out how to configure their Broadworks platform? That's been some time in the making lol.

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sbiddle

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#1181034 21-Nov-2014 21:44

chevrolux:
Broadworks is already being deployed for their VoIP offering after numerous other solutions failed.

Have they actually figured out how to configure their Broadworks platform? That's been some time in the making lol.

I believe they're still downloading the PDF manual over dialup.

sbiddle

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#1181037 21-Nov-2014 21:48

kawaii:
sbiddle: Broadworks is already being deployed for their VoIP offering after numerous other solutions failed.

VoLTE is a very different IMS based solution, that in many ways is already dead before it even gets deployed.

Ah, ok, I would have assumed at this stage there would have been some kind of solution that would unify fixed line VoIP and VoLTE into a coherent package for carriers or at least when VoLTE was being developed that it would have been developed with the idea of standardisation so it could run over various mediums.

Far from it - and that's the reason VoLTE is a lame horse. Yes it's a solution, and yes it works, but it's not the best solution going forward. It's a legacy way of thinking to deliver a product based around an IMS core that's obsolete before it's even deployed.

There will always be a place for it, but OTT applications and WebRTC in particular are going to fundamentally change the way we communicate.

matisyahu

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#1181067 21-Nov-2014 22:49

sbiddle:
kawaii:
sbiddle: Broadworks is already being deployed for their VoIP offering after numerous other solutions failed.

VoLTE is a very different IMS based solution, that in many ways is already dead before it even gets deployed.

Ah, ok, I would have assumed at this stage there would have been some kind of solution that would unify fixed line VoIP and VoLTE into a coherent package for carriers or at least when VoLTE was being developed that it would have been developed with the idea of standardisation so it could run over various mediums.

Far from it - and that's the reason VoLTE is a lame horse. Yes it's a solution, and yes it works, but it's not the best solution going forward. It's a legacy way of thinking to deliver a product based around an IMS core that's obsolete before it's even deployed.

There will always be a place for it, but OTT applications and WebRTC in particular are going to fundamentally change the way we communicate.

I just had a look up of Broadworks and it appears that they have a VoLTE offering which makes me wonder whether at some point in the future Spark will offer VoLTE. Is there any benefit to a carrier by moving to VoLTE vs. just sticking with 3G for voice and pushing all the data over 4G?

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sbiddle

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#1181143 22-Nov-2014 09:09

kawaii: Is there any benefit to a carrier by moving to VoLTE vs. just sticking with 3G for voice and pushing all the data over 4G?

There are advantages and disadvantages to both solutions. It's fairly safe to say that there will be plenty of networks around the world that will never bother deploying VoLTE if they have perfectly functional 3G networks for voice fallback and/or can reply on OTT apps to deliver voice functionality.