TM Deployments [249]: Mobily [Saudi Arabia] Uses Ericsson SSR 8000

According to Mobily annual report (here), in 2012 "Data traffic on wireless broadband network services grow from 163 to 750 terabyte per day". Probably in order to accommodate this demand to traffic, Mobily has upgraded its core wireless netwrok.

Telecom Lead reports that "Mobily has selected Ericsson to provide Evolved Packet Core networks in the western region of the Kingdom. The Ericsson EPC solution enables Mobily subscribers to have the ability to access and consume four times more data .. As per the agreement, Ericsson will upgrade the EPC network with the Evolved Packet Gateway based on the SSR 8000 family to support LTE and prepare the network for Voice over LTE .. The enhanced capacity of the network will allow Mobily mobile customers to use and consume bandwidth-hungry applications and services while maintaining high quality of experience for all users".

Is Mobily going to use DPI to manage those "bandwidth-hungry applications" ? Two years ago I reported that Mobily is using Bridgewater's (now Amdocs) PCRF with Cisco's SCE DPI devices for its 3G network (here). However, the Ericsson SSR 8000 has its own DPI (see "Ericsson Adds DPI and Wi-Fi to SSR 8000" - here).

Nasser Al Nasser, COO, Mobily, said: “To provide our customers with an unparalleled mobile-broadband experience, we constantly look for ways to efficiently maintain and increase network availability and enhanced Quality of Service (QoS) to support LTE”

See "Mobily selects Ericsson for packet core networks" - here.

PCRF Deployments (51): Mobily [Saudi Arabia] Uses Bridgewater’s PCRF w/Cisco SCE

 

Bridgewater Systems announced that "Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) (ETEL.AD), the largest provider of mobile broadband in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has selected and rapidly implemented the Bridgewater(R) Policy Controller for data traffic (PCRF) to manage mobile data communication growth and deliver innovative services on Mobily's nationwide 3G/HSPA+ network"

See "Mobily Goes Live with Bridgewater PCRF for 3G" - here.

Mobily, has over 18M subscribers and more than 2.3M customers subscribed to its high-volume mobile broadband bundles, has implemented the Bridgewater Policy Controller/PCRF, integrated with the Cisco Service Control Engine enforcement solution for its nationwide 3G/HSPA+ based mobile broadband network.

Walid Thabet (picture), Director, Data & Solutions Services, Mobily said: "... We look forward to further extending our deployment of Bridgewater to enable differentiated services, and for a common control plane across all of our fixed and mobile networks".

Bridgewater - Strong Quarter - New Customers

 

Bridgewater Systems (TSX:BWC) published today the 2010 Q1 results - see "Bridgewater Systems Reports Financial Results for Q1 2010" - here.

Q1 was a strong quarter for the company - revenues were $24.5M (74% growth from last year) and net earning were $4.6M. It seems that management sees also strong quarters ahead, at the new guidance for 2010 is revenues of $85-$94M compared to 2009 revenues of $66.7M and previous guidance of $82-92M. These are Canadian $ - the exchange rate to US$ is approx. 1.

Share are gaining ~3% at midday trading today.

We get more proof to the nice growth of the policy management market (see also "Policy Server Market - Still Small, but Always Optimistic!" - here), as Bridgewater informs us about some deals and trials:

• The increase in product revenue primarily reflects the delivery and acceptance of the WideSpan systems for Verizon Wireless".
  WideSpan is a package of BWS products that includes a Policy Controller. Earlier this quarter we saw a press release from Camiant on selling Policy server to Verizon wireless as well. (see "Verizon Wireless Selects Camiant for PCRF (so what happened to Bridgewater?)" - here). So the mystery of Verizon Policy Server vendor remains.
   

• Selected by Mobily, the largest provider of mobile broadband in Saudi-Arabia, to provide the Bridgewater® Service Controller and Policy Controller to manage mobile data growth across its WiMAX, and Wi-Fi networks with plans to integrate with the HSPA network.

Other customers remain anonymous, per the tradition of our business:

• Bridgewater® Policy Controller was deployed by a European property of a major global mobile operator group to meet new EU mobile data roaming legislation and empower subscribers to personalize and manage mobile data usage. (see "EU Helps Preventing Mobile Bill Shock" - here).
   
• Continued momentum in helping customers transform to 4G with five confirmed LTE trials with major operators in Asia Pacific and North and South America for the Bridgewater® EPC 500 'control-plane-in-a-box' system.