Cambridge Broadband Networks wins key high-growth strategic customer in Middle East.

Cambridge, UK, 5 October 2009: Saudi Arabian operator Mobily, partially owned by UAE operator Etisalat, has awarded Cambridge Broadband Networks a significant contract for the provision of its VectaStar, point-to-multipoint, microwave backhaul platform.

Mobily is using VectaStar in the licensed 26GHz spectrum band to backhaul its 3G high speed packet access (HSPA) network. The initial deployment was in Saudi Arabia’s capital city, Riyadh, in 2008, with installations also underway in the Western Region (Jeddah , Mekah and Medinah ), the Eastern Province (Al-Khobar , Dammam and Dhahran) as part of its plans to expand its VectaStar network nationwide.

After a thorough benchmarking against legacy point-to-point technologies, Mobily selected VectaStar because it provides significantly greater capacity within the same spectrum allocation. Its future-proof architecture gives Mobily the confidence to invest in an infrastructure perfectly in line with its plans for rapid growth in data services. VectaStar has also proven to be flexible and fast to deploy in other installations in the region.

“Our HSPA network continues to grow quickly, and our backhaul network needs to be able to cope with rapidly increasing data traffic,” said Nasser Al-Nasser, Mobily’s CTO-MRN. “VectaStar provides us with the capacity and scalability we need to get new services to our customers before our competitors. It is unique in its ability to optimise and statistically-multiplex mobile broadband data traffic from our 3.75G base stations. Furthermore, its support for a wide variety of traffic protocols gives us great confidence in its ability to support our current and future ventures.”

Kamel Kaddoumi , Regional Manager – Middle East of Cambridge Broadband Networks, said “Mobily has been offering third generation services for more than two years now and as one of the Middle East’s fastest-moving operators it needs a backhaul network that can grow to satisfy the increasing demand for advanced services.”

“This latest agreement further validates the VectaStar point-to-multipoint platform’s ability to meet mobile operators’ needs for flexible and scalable backhaul infrastructure.”

Mobily’s mobile data network is the busiest in the world, with 800,000 HSPA subscribers signing up in 18 months and 3.75G HSPA service coverage reaching 326 cities, regions and areas in the Kingdom, covering 75% of the population.. In 2005, Mobily became the first Saudi 3G mobile operator.  By 2006 Mobily subscribers had soared to 6 million and was described by the GSM World Association as the fastest growing operator in the MENA region. Today it has in excess of 11 million subscribers.

Cambridge Broadband Networks’ value added reseller, WiConnect, is responsible for the systems integration of Mobily’s VectaStar network.

Mohammed Ramadan, Director at WiConnect said “the deployment of VectaStar in Saudi for Mobily has clearly demonstrated the true beneficial impact that a point-to-multipoint architecture and traffic optimization can have on 3G backhaul in comparison with the traditional point-to-point solutions.”

“We are pleased to be combining our industry-leading system integration knowledge with Cambridge Broadband Networks’ market-leading technology to serve Mobily by contributing in its tremendous OpEx & CapEx reduction facilitated via VectaStar,” Ramadan said.

Flexible Charging Solution Deployed to Ensure Scalability as Data Use Grows

ITU, Geneva / ISTANBUL, Turkey – Oct. 5, 2009 – Cisco and Openet today announced that Turkcell, Turkey’s leading communications and technology company, has deployed a combined solution to provide a flexible charging system for its general packet radio service (GPRS) mobile data network. The joint solution from Cisco and Openet, which went live at mobile operator Turkcell in June 2009, introduces intelligence into the network to enable the real-time packet inspection, rating and billing of individual customers’ mobile data usage. It helps the operator deliver and charge for pre- and post-paid data and next-generation services. As a result, Turkcell, which has a subscriber base of more than 36 million, is able to provide subscribers with several billing options: by application used, for combined services or by data bandwidth consumed.

Key Facts / Highlights: • Openet’s FusionWorksTM Convergent Charging solution deployed at Turkcell is combined with the following Cisco® technologies: - Cisco Enhanced Gateway GPRS Support Node (eGGSN), based on the high-performance Service Application Module for IP (SAMI) technology in the Cisco 7600 Series Router;  - Cisco Service Control Engine; - Cisco Access Register

• This combined solution was selected to help prepare Turkcell for a surge in data traffic from the launch of its 3G network in July 2009.

• The Cisco eGGSN solution provides advanced processing of Internet Protocol (IP) flows for content-aware billing, filtering, management and analysis in a highly scalable, fault-tolerant package. The solution helps Turkcell to deliver personalized mobile data services to its customers.

• Openet’s FusionWorksTM Convergent Charging product verifies the subscriber identity, the type of service and the authorization to use the service; advises on charge and session management; and charges for the service. These capabilities provide the transactional intelligence that Turkcell requires for the accurate delivery of, and charging for, 3G services. 

• As a complementary technology with the Service Control Engine, Cisco provides content inspection capabilities that enable Turkcell to control network traffic and monetize subscriber use. Currently, there are servers deployed in Istanbul, with plans to roll out additional servers in Ankara and to augment the existing hardware in Istanbul as more subscribers begin to use Turkcell’s 3G network for data services.

• The joint solution was previously deployed to handle data on Turkcell’s 2G network and was selected for its ability to scale exponentially as 3G data use grows and delivery speeds rise as high as 1,500 transactions per second. Turkcell’s 2G customer base consists predominantly of consumers using voice and SMS services. 

• The ability to handle real-time GPRS transactions now allows Turkcell to maximize profitability from data services, thereby creating a commercially viable proposition to take to the enterprise market. What’s more, the solution is a 3rd Generation Partnership Project initiative that is IMS-standard-compliant and device-agnostic, so Turkcell can now handle the growing demand for next-generation services such as mobile TV and mobile Internet.

• Cisco Advanced Services provided end-to-end integration, deployment and support services working in close collaboration with Openet.

Supporting Quotes:

• Ilker Kuruoz, Chief Technology Officer, Turkcell "For Turkcell’s 3G launch, we needed a data-charging solution implemented by vendors who were able to bring their international experience in that space to the dynamic Turkish market.  The solution developed by Cisco and Openet is a big benefit for Turkcell. It not only provides for today’s needs, but also supports flexible future scenarios. Following the 3G launch, we are pleased to observe the reliability and flexibility of the solution."

• Hacer Coskun, Planning Manager, Network Enablers, Turkcell  “While our consumer voice growth was already strong, we needed to provide an equally efficient and profitable data solution to tap into the enterprise market and consumers looking to next-generation services.  We chose to work with Openet and Cisco because their combined offering precisely met our requirements for capacity, reliability and flexibility in a real-time charging solution.”

• Philip Hogan, Chief Sales Officer, Openet “Turkcell has built a hugely profitable business in the GSM market. However, as it began to provide complex, high-value services, it required a solution that could dynamically evaluate usage to create relevant billing models and tariffs that meet the needs of the customer, while still generating revenue for the business.  This is doubly important now that Turkcell has launched its 3G network, and that’s where Openet and Cisco come in.”

• Suraj Shetty, Vice President, Global Service Provider Marketing, Cisco “Never before has it been so important for operators to accelerate adoption of personalized mobile data services. With this Mobile Internet solution, we are able to help Turkcell better serve its customers, monetize its next-generation services and increase average revenue per user with differentiated billing.”

High street shops struggle to compare with independent retailers on price.

1st October 2009: A survey conducted by leading mobile phone comparison website Omio.com has revealed that consumers can save the most money by avoiding the high street, finding savings of up to 40% with online retailers.

Omio’s goal was to secure the best deal on the popular Nokia 5800 XpressMusic handset, on a competitive tariff of around £25 per month.

An 18-month, £25 deal on a Nokia 5800 was available in an O2 retail outlet on a package which would include 200 minutes and 200 texts for £24.48 per month. However, the handset itself would cost £48.93.

1 October 2009 – Voice and data network solutions provider O-bit Telecom has launched Purple Networx a true end-to-end VoIP solution for SMBs incorporating its own voice and broadband network and dedicated internet access off its network backbone. This will provide SMBs the opportunity to benefit from free or lower cost calls with no capital outlay or infrastructure requirements.

Purple Networx combines all the networking technology of O-bit Telecom to provide users with the benefits of VoIP including: hosted PBX, single user/residential, SIP terminating service, Wi-Fi, mobile integration, hosted or CPE (customer premises equipment) version, voice quality broadband and a choice from thousands of geographic numbers.  By combining all of O-bit Telecom’s networking technologies Purple Networx can boast that it is the only carrier able to provide all the components of a VoIP solution.