Stoke, Inc.

Solutions : Packet Data GW / Tunnel Termination GW

The explosion of mobile data traffic is leading to bottlenecks in the mobile infrastructure. Much of the mobile data traffic today is being driven by a rapidly growing base of cellular-enabled laptop computers. Nearly 100% of those laptops are also enabled for wireless LANs like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. With the Stoke Session Exchange (SSX) Packet Data Gateway, mobile operators can avoid the growing threat of 3GPP 3G data service bottlenecks by offloading handset and laptop traffic whenever and wherever possible onto Wireless LANs.

3GPP defined Wireless LAN Interworking (IWLAN) to allow subscribers access to mobile operator packet data services while connected via wireless LANs. In this scenario the wireless LAN user is connected via Wi-Fi to the operator network over a fixed line broadband network. The SSX Packet Data Gateway (PDG) is an integral component to IWLAN solution, supporting standard interfaces, providing high performance scalable network and subscriber security, session management, and policy charging and enforcement functions.

Enabling wireless LAN access to packet data services via the SSX delivers numerous benefits to mobile operators including:

• Reduce network loads in the RAN, backhaul and core networks by securely leveraging managed and unmanaged WLANs
• Improving services availability in buildings and homes where cellular coverage can be limited
• Delaying the expense of cell splitting to support higher densities of users and ever increasing data traffic volumes
• Delaying costly core network data services element upgrades (e.g. SGSN, GGSN) to manage a user-plane problem

Ecosystem components in IWLAN deployments include client software that initiates connectivity with the operator infrastructure and an IP-based AAA server that interfaces with the HLR/HSS to authenticate and authorize connecting subscribers. 3GPP also defines a Packet Data Gateway, which initiates, manages and terminates secure tunnels to the mobile station, and performs all management for the subscriber session.

Providing a superior PDG implementations.
Purpose-built for multi-access mobile broadband, the SSX delivers the data plane and control plane functions and capacity for high speed, high-bandwidth gateway applications in today's and tomorrow's mobile operator networks.

3GPP Packet Data Gateway /
Tunnel Termination Gateway

• Core network routing for PDG deployments
• Flow based charging and policy enforcement
• Session and context caching, distribution, & management
• AAA and DHCP proxy relay agent
• Secure admission control and
  firewall & DDoS protection
• UE-PDG tunneling
• APN resolution and authentication
• Gn' Interface for easy integration as a TTG

3GPP Standard PDG
In 3GPP Packet Data Gateway deployments, the SSX performs the functions as defined in 3GPP technical specifications document TS 23.234 "3GPP system to Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) interworking." The SSX can be deployed as a stand alone PDG for new services and data traffic that might overload the installed GGSNs. The SSX can also be deployed in Tunnel Termination Gateway (TTG) mode, working closely with installed GGSNs to make up the PDG functional set. TTG mode is useful for connecting subscribers to low bandwidth, walled garden applications, leveraging existing service class and charging functions deployed in the GGSN.

Moreover, the SSX can perform both TTG and PDG duties simultaneously, providing a single network onramp for Wireless LAN attached data services subscribers, and enabling operators to optimized service delivery and take care not to overload legacy packet services infrastructure.

Learn More: Wi-Fi eXchange Packet Data Gateway Application Note