Leveraging Diameter to control the 'signalling storm' and maximise LTE monetisation

The rate of global LTE deployments is ramping up dramatically across the globe. In fact new research from Informa Telecoms & Media in conjunction with industry knowledge, reveals that – in terms of perceptions on LTE maturity – the majority of global operators see a “clear need” to launch LTE networks now.
Some two-thirds of survey respondents – which was based on in-depth and extensive interviews with LTE operators as well as a full assessment of the launch strategies of 52 live LTE network operators globally – said the time is right to launch LTE in their markets immediately.

However, while the commercial imperative of 4G deployment is clearly understood, the fundamental packet-switched nature of LTE networks means that the new infrastructures are in many respects architecturally challenging compared to their circuit-switched predecessors and nowhere is this more apparent than in the area of dealing with sudden spikes in signalling traffic. Unfortunately for operators the nature of 4G traffic is characterised by such unpredictable bursts in network signalling traffic, making it imperative that measures are taken in the core network to address and control the effects on end users of these peaks and troughs in demand.