NETWORK
INTEGRATION FOR IMPROVED COMMUNICATION
Gateway is integrating its network with the Home and Visitor Location
Registers (HLR & VLR) of its customers. This unique solution,
named Voyager, delivers greater cost savings and higher quality calls
for operators and customers through more efficient routing.
An HLR is a central database, a static user database, of mobile phone
subscribers that are authorised to use a particular network. A VLR
handles requests for mobile phones to attach to the network. Gateway
will become the first pan-African satellite connectivity provider
to integrate its network with these databases.
An HLR user profile contains data such as services subscribed to,
billing and current location. The VLR stores information associated
with a mobile handset (downloaded from an HLR) operating within the
range of the network the VLR serves.
Between them, an HLR and a VLR are used to track any mobile phone.
An HLR and a VLR enable a mobile handset to be located precisely by
a satellite network operator at any time. This technology is particularly
appropriate and cost-effective for Africa, where fibre connections
are limited and satellite bandwidth is in short supply.
Better
information for superior connection
Efficient routing is enabled through improved location management
- via better location registration and better call delivery. Location
registration procedures update the HLR and VLR and authenticate
a mobile unit whenever up-to-date location information is available.
Call delivery procedures use the information available on an HLR
and VLR to locate a mobile handset when an incoming call is set
up.
As a consequence of Gateway’s investment in the integration
of these registers, it is able to direct a call to the nearest of
the more than 350 Mobile Switching Centres (MSC) that it connects
with. This makes additional satellite ‘hops’ unnecessary,
resulting in lower capacity costs, improved quality of calls, and
more efficient network utilisation due to the lower requirement
for bandwidth.
Gateway’s network integration of HLR and VLR was announced
first at the GSM Africa conference in Cape Town in October 2006.
At the conference, Peter Gbedemah, Gateway’s CEO said, “Our
development of Voyager is yet another example of Gateway bringing
pioneering technology to Africa. Our pan-African focus and wide
reach allows us to continue to provide the most efficient and highest
quality services to our customer.” |
