Moto powering next-gen wireless core with Starent gateways

Motorola said Monday it is incorporating Starent Networks’ evolved packet core solution into its next-generation wireless network portfolio, giving it a flat IP architecture Moto can sell to both future Long-Term Evolution (LTE) operators as well as 3G operators who plan to migrate to LTE.

Starent’s system architecture evolution (SAE) gateway is the descendent of the Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) and Packet Data Support Node (PDSN) it has developed for UMTS and CDMA networks, respectively. In the evolution to LTE, the 3GPP standards body has laid out a collapsed IP architecture that incorporates many of the functions of the traditional 3G network into fewer elements. The functions of the radio network controller will be integrated into the base station, while the functions of the SGSN and gateway GPRS support are collapsing into the SAE.

Like most major vendors, Motorola has designed and sold its own network core to wireless operators in 2G and 3G networks, but as the standards evolve, more open interfaces between the elements of the network become required, which theoretically allows operators to pick and choose different vendors for the core and radio access components of their network. By working with Starent, Motorola is not only staking out an early partnership for the future LTE market—one that allows it to focus on its primary strength, radio access—it also gets a platform it can begin selling to its current 2G and 3G networks.

The SAE is intended to be backward-compatible with UMTS and GPRS/EDGE networks, said Nick Lopez, vice president of strategic alliances for Starent, so 2G and 3G operators planning on migrating to LTE can begin deploying the SAE solution into networks today as they replace older infrastructure or expand the capacity of their existing core networks.