Subscribers use more and more different devices to access the Network that they happen to be on (3G, LTE, Fixed or Wi-Fi). When they go online, users want access to their services on whatever Network, device and location. Service Providers are looking for ways to provide their subscribers with seamless access to all available technologies.
Mapping the problems
Subscribers want internet connection through every access type
All devices should have connectivity
Different authentication principles in each domain
Challenges
Authentication should work between the different access types
Service continuity when the subscriber moves between technologies
Common charging and subscriber policies across WiFi/Mobile/Fixed
Single and seamless authentication method
Consequences
Subscribers have connectivity issues and no data services
Manual authentication is required when connecting to WiFi
Charging is incorrect and subscriber is impacted
Wrong subscriber profile is applied
How we solve this
Introduction of a Protocol Interworking Gateway between the Mobile domain (Diameter,SS7/MAP) and Fixed/WiFi domain (Radius). This Gateway will act as a Protocol convertor to retrieve authentication from the Mobile domain with its specific signaling Protocol (SS7/MAP and Diameter) and to move that information over the Radius Protocol to the Fixed/WiFi domain.
Benefits
Data off-load from Mobile to fixed
Due to the growing data volumes, Service Providers want to offer seamless access to Fixed/Wifi in order to lower the costs and provide maximum data throughput to all subscribers.
Benefits
Improvement of the user experience
By streamlining service scenarios across Fixed and Mobile Networks, Service Providers can offer their subscribers a much improved user experience.
Benefits
Convergence of Mobile and Fixed/WiFi domains
An enhanced Gateway function for RADIUS/Diameter interworking and mediation, bridges RADIUS and Diameter technologies through configuration, and not through R&D.
Benefits
Future proof with extendable approach
New interfaces (e.g. various Diameter applications, RADIUS, XML/HTTP, SOAP, REST, LDAP, ENUM, SS7 etc.) can be used for other Interworking functions to convert any message between any of the available interfaces.
Key Take-Aways
Automatic access to Wi-Fi offload and seamless roaming scenarios between access Providers
Service continuity scenarios with converged policy control and integrated data bundles