GSMA Press Release 2008
High-Quality Global IP Network Prepares To Go Commercial
IPX to provide secure and reliable next generation services
12th February 2008, Barcelona, Spain: Following successful trials run by the GSM Association, international carriers are preparing to rollout the first commercial IPX* services. When IPX is fully established, it will enable mobile operators and other service providers to exchange Internet Protocol-based traffic, including both person-to-person communications and content, securely and with a guaranteed quality of service.
Open to any company willing to adopt the necessary technical and commercial principles, the IPX is a private global IP backbone designed specifically to provide guaranteed levels of quality of service and security.
“The open Internet is a wonderful thing, but when it comes to providing a guaranteed quality of service, particularly for time-critical services, there is still a long way to go,” said Alex Sinclair, Chief Technology Officer of the GSMA, the global trade association for the mobile industry. “By contrast, IPX should guarantee reliable and secure carriage of traffic between networks because each party involved in transmitting the data offers a pre-defined service-level agreement.
In the IPX network, a high level of quality will be maintained because each party in the transmission chain will have a consistent and enforceable contract, which will make them responsible for the performance and the service they provide. IPX networks have been designed to ensure a high level of security and to provide protection from spam and interference by remaining separate from the Internet and providing full traceability.
The GSMA completed the IPX specifications in 2006 and the first phase of trials of packet voice services over IPX-enabled networks ran from April 2007 to the end of that year. The trials demonstrated that IPX networks can deliver high-quality, low latency and secure services. Further trials will be completed in the second quarter of 2008.
The development of the IPX enjoys broad support from the industry. Fixed operators, mobile operators and carriers participating in existing or planned trials include Belgacom ICS, BT, Cable&Wireless, DTAC, Elisa, France Telecom/Orange, iBasis, Mobilkom, Proximus, T-Com, T-Mobile, Telecom Italia, Telecom Italia Sparkle, Telefonica/O2, Telefonica IWS, Telekom Austria, Telenor, Telenor Global Services, TeliaSonera, TeliaSonera International Carrier, Telus, Telecom New Zealand, Telecom New Zealand International, Vipnet, Vodafone and Tata Communications.
Notes to Editors:
About the GSMA:
The GSM Association (GSMA) is the global trade association representing more than 700 GSM mobile phone operators across 218 countries and territories of the world. In addition, more than 200 manufacturers and suppliers support the Association's initiatives as key partners.
The primary goals of the GSMA are to ensure mobile phones and wireless services work globally and are easily accessible, enhancing their value to individual customers and national economies, while creating new business opportunities for operators and their suppliers. The Association's members serve more than 2.5 billion customers - 85% of the world's mobile phone users.
For more information please contact:
Mark Smith or David Pringle
GSM Association
Email: press@gsm.org
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