Telkomsel Boosts Mobile Broadband Capacity with 3G Direct Tunnelling

Nokia Siemens Networks has helped Indonesian operator, Telkomsel to increase its HSDPA throughput by moving toward a flat architecture with Direct Tunnel, a software upgrade to the packet core network that simplifies the network and the data flow between the end-user and the Internet. It enables operators to take the first step towards the all-IP foundation of LTE (Long Term Evolution), which mandates flat architecture with a dedicated node for data traffic control.

With Direct Tunnel, users' 3G/HSDPA data traffic bypasses the packet core control node en route to the IP backbone, reducing the number of transmission links needed.

"We have one of the largest 3G/HSDPA subscriber bases in the world, making us a global Top Ten 3G operator. To provide a growing number of 3G/HSDPA customers with the best quality of data access, we needed a solution that helps expand network capacity rapidly without spending much on new infrastructure development," said M. Mustaghfirin, VP Service Layer Engineering, Telkomsel.

To that end, the Telkomsel and Nokia Siemens Networks engineering teams jointly collaborated to enhance the operator's existing network with Direct Tunnel. "The Direct Tunnel solution from Nokia Siemens Networks enables us to streamline 3G/HSDPA data flow and remove bottlenecks while scaling up our network capacity flexibly and cost-effectively," added Ivan C Purnama, GM VAS & Datacomm Engineering, Telkomsel.

Telkomsel has implemented Direct Tunnel in the greater Jakarta area and it has successfully gone live. The high speed network wide rollout is underway, so that very soon it will also cover the whole island of Java.

Posted to the site on 11th February 2009