MSF Completes Latest Global Interop Test: 27 Companies Join Successful Voice Over LTE Event

FREMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The MSF (MultiService Forum) announced today the successful completion of the first ever MSF VoLTE (Voice over Long Term Evolution) Interoperability Event, backed by the GSMA. The event was conducted in two host sites in Dusseldorf, Germany and Beijing, China. VoLTE calls were successfully completed within each host site (including MMTel services) as well as between the host sites to demonstrate network inter-connect. LTE Roaming between host sites was successfully demonstrated, utilizing dynamic policy control between home and visited networks employing DRA's (Diameter Routing Agents). Multi-vendor testing, a key component of all MSF IOT events, was conducted at each site, incorporating interworking between different vendors’ UE, eNodeB, SeGW, EPC, IMS/MMTEL, DRA and PCC technology.

The test event, backed by the GSMA as part of its VoLTE initiative, was hosted by MSF and mobile operators Vodafone and China Mobile in the Vodafone Test and Innovation Centre in Dusseldorf, Germany, and the China Mobile Research Institute Laboratory in Beijing, China. The Event was sponsored by GENBAND, Huawei, ZTE, Alepo, Bridgewater Systems, Cisco and WiChorus, a Tellabs Company, with participation from Acme Packet, Alcatel-Lucent, Codenomicon, D2 Technologies, EXFO, IPneo, JDSU, Metaswitch, Samsung, Stoke, Traffix Systems and VSS Monitoring. Observers included ETRI, ETSI, NCS, NTT, Verizon and Videotron.

"The MSF VoLTE event successfully validated the GSMA VoLTE initiative by demonstrating that an IMS-based solution for Voice over LTE can provide global roaming and interconnect solutions for Operators. We are very pleased to see so many global participants coming together for such an important multi-vendor event. The latest in the series of MSF LTE Testing has surpassed our expectations," said Kyu-Ouk Lee, MSF President, ETRI.

The MSF VoLTE interoperability event focused on validating the GSMA VoLTE recommendations for UE to Core Network interoperability, incorporating LTE, EPC, PCC, DRA and IMS core elements in a multi-vendor deployment. Test scenarios included VoLTE basic interoperability, global Roaming and Interconnection as specified by the GSMA.

“The completion of successful interoperability testing should give the industry, and in particular GSMA member organisations, the confidence to progress their work on VoLTE deployments as they move forward with their LTE deployment plans. The GSMA thanks the MSF for organizing and administering such a comprehensive event, and we will continue to work together to implement improvements and extend the level of interoperability of VoLTE implementations in the future,” said Dan Warren, Senior Director of Technology, GSMA.

A white paper summarizing the findings of the interoperability event will be published next month. The paper will be made available to the public on the MSF website (http://www.msforum.org/interoperability/VoLTE.shtml) following a pre-release for MSF members, the press and industry analysts. For more information about MSF membership, or about access to the press/analyst presentation in early November, please contact Ashley Wright at [e-mail] .

MSF VoLTE IOT Results will also be presented at Layer 123 LTE/EPC & Converged Mobile Summit in London, December 5 – 8, and at Mobile World Asia in Shanghai, February 21 – 23, 2012.

About the MSF

The MultiService Forum (MSF) is a global association of service providers, system suppliers and test equipment vendors committed to developing and promoting open-architecture, multiservice Next Generation Networks. Founded in 1998, the MSF is an open-membership organization comprised of the world's leading telecommunications companies. The MSF's activities include developing Implementation Agreements, promoting worldwide compatibility and interoperability of network elements, and encouraging input to appropriate national and international standards bodies. www.msforum.org

About VoLTE IOT Event 2011

The MSF hosted the VoLTE IOT 2011 Event in the Vodafone Centre for Test and Innovation in Dusseldorf and the China Mobile Research Institute Lab in Beijing in September 2011. The event was backed by the GSMA following the launch of its global VoLTE initiative in 2010, which is supported by more than 40 leading organizations in the mobile space. The event was based on the major success of the previous Global MSF LTE Interoperability Event that took place during March 2010 and reflected the industry’s drive to continue to deliver major carrier driven events that benefit all its members in their quest to keep pace with an ever faster moving industry. The MSF VoLTE Interoperability test event focused on validating core network interfaces to ensure multi-vendor deployment strategies for LTE technology and will validate the MSF physical scenarios developed to incorporate 3GPP LTE/EPC technology and the GSMA’s technical recommendations, focusing on Voice over LTE, with the support of China Mobile and Vodafone. http://www.msforum.org/interoperability/VoLTE.shtml