More and more people around the world are now being connected through the mobile softswitching (MSS) systems that are replacing legacy switches to provide more cost-efficient voice service. Nokia Siemens Networks, a leader in driving this technology forward, recently expanded its total delivered MSS capacity worldwide well past the 1 billion milestone. 

This landmark achievement means Nokia Siemens Networks’ solution is used for 40% of mobile softswitching worldwide and for over a quarter of all connections in those mobile networks based on the world-dominant GSM family of standards. The milestone was reached in April, when the cumulative active subscriber capacity for MSS systems deployed by Nokia Siemens Networks surpassed 1 billion. 

This figure is based on actual operational subscriber capacity according to customer traffic usage and represents the number of active subscribers that can be connected via the Nokia Siemens Networks MSS. The total MSS capacity — including buffer capacity for daily mobility operations — delivered by Nokia Siemens Networks is over 1.5 billion. 

“These milestones are impressive indicators of how ubiquitous mobile connectivity has become,” says Jürgen Walter, head of Converged Core, Nokia Siemens Networks. “Knowing that one billion people all around the world are daily connecting through our mobile softswitch solution illustrates the trust that our customers place in us to positively support their core business.”

Deployed in over 230 operators’ networks, Nokia Siemens Networks’ mobile softswitching technology uses a “split architecture” that includes the Mobile Switching Center (MSC) Server and the Multimedia Gateway toreduce operating expenditures by as much as 70% in transmission, site, and operation and management costs. It also brings increased savings in power consumption.

It enables voice service for 2G, 3G and Voice over IP (VoIP), all in the same hardware elements, thanks to the industry’s only integrated VoIP server, the NVS, which can be implemented with an easy upgrade to existing MSS hardware. With VoIP functionality added, the Nokia Siemens Networks MSS can also be used to provide Voice over LTE by implementing the “Fast Track” VoLTE solution, making this next generation service available to over a billion mobile users. 

A mature solution that was first put into commercial use in 2004, the Nokia Siemens Networks MSS has since evolved to support not only 3GPP Release 4, but also Releases 5, 6, and 7, which lay the foundation for All-IP networks.