Digicel Extends Cellular Network for Service and Customer Growth with Cisco IP NGN

Cisco® today announced that Digicel, the fastest-growing cellular provider in the Caribbean and a new entrant into the Central American market, is enhancing its network with a Cisco carrier-class signaling transfer point (STP) technology. Known as the Cisco 7600 Internet Protocol Transfer Point (ITP) solution, the technology is a part of the Cisco IP Next-Generation Network (IP NGN) architecture.

The Cisco 7600 ITP solution provides Digicel standard time-division multiplexing (TDM)-based signaling, high-speed Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) and STP capabilities. It is graphically managed by the Cisco Mobile Wireless Transport Manager (MWTM). Based in Jamaica, Digicel covers 22 markets in neighboring islands and countries. The carrier determined that the Cisco 7600 ITP solution could help it expand its signaling network while keeping costs and training requirements relatively low.

“The Cisco 7600 ITP solution allows Digicel to freely expand its services to existing customers and accommodate a rapidly growing customer base. We also have plans for more IP-based deployments, which make the Cisco 7600 ITP, and Cisco, a logical choice. Coupled with a purpose-built element management system, the Cisco Mobile Wireless Transport Manager, the complete solution allows for reduced training requirements and increased visibility into our operations,” said Mario Assaad, CTO at Digicel Group. “The Cisco 7600 ITP solution provides a solid foundation for Digicel and contains many features as part of its standard package that allows Digicel to utilize more features at less cost.”

Digicel offers the latest wireless technologies and services with the newest handsets as well as tailor-made prepaid and postpaid packages that include rollover minutes, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) data services, prepaid roaming, Call Me, Credit Me, Credit U, Short Messaging Service (SMS), e-mail and multimedia messaging.

Cisco IP Transfer Point
Traditional Signaling System 7 (SS7) transport options provide few choices in terms of controlling capital and operational expenses. Legacy STPs are large, costly and cumbersome, and they require significant resources to maintain functionality. In addition, legacy STPs pose limitations on space efficiency and power consumption as well as network growth in an IP-based environment, which leaves service providers in the position of having to purchase additional interface equipment and more STPs in order to expand their network.

In contrast, the Cisco7600 ITP solution provides flexible, cost-efficient platforms that can meet a wide variety of service provider needs. The Cisco 7600 ITP solution also combines the functionality of a next-generation STP and an IP router whose features include high-port density, support for IP routing protocols, and transport of SS7 signaling traffic over an IP network. Combining STP protocols with the Cisco 7600 ITP solution’s IP routing functionality results in a highly reliable, flexible and easy-to-manage SS7-over-IP solution.

“The Cisco 7600 ITP solution continues to offer value into the core signaling transport point market. By providing this next-generation signaling transport point, Cisco has successfully demonstrated its ability to provide signaling solutions that support existing and future service provider growth needs, even for carriers experiencing significant growth,” said Tony Jeffs, director of marketing, Mobility Switching and Call Control Group, Cisco. “Taking advantage of our core expertise in IP, Cisco’s ability to provide scalable, reliable and cost-efficient signaling solutions that meet specific carrier and end user needs enhances Cisco’s unique ability to fulfill the evolving requirements in this market.”

Cisco Mobile Wireless Transport Manager
The Cisco MWTM provides monitoring and management capabilities to the Cisco Radio Access Network (RAN) optimization and Cisco 7600 ITP solutions. The Cisco MWTM addresses mobile operators’ element management requirements and provides the fault, configuration and troubleshooting capabilities they need to transition from first-generation fixed leased-line networks to a converged IP-based infrastructure.

More information about the Cisco 7600 ITP solution and other service provider mobility solutions is available at www.cisco.com/go/mobile. For more information on the Cisco MWTM, visit www.cisco.com/go/mwtm.