Adopting Unified IMS Core Network to Quickly Achieve the Operation with Multiple Broadband Accesses

1　 Background

Atheeb Telecom Company acquired its license from the Communication and Information Technology Commission in 2007 to provide advanced fixed line services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Atheeb Telecom Company also acquired a 3.5GHz frequency spectrum across 13 regional divisions of the Kingdom valued at 520 million Saudi Riyals in addition to the license for advanced fixed telephone lines amounting up to 5 million Saudi Riyals.

The license acquired by the Company enables various fixed and wireless services such as voice telephone communications, data services, Internet services, Internet telephony services, and Broadband internet services via WiMAX 802.16e Technology, Fixed Telephone lines, and Optical Fiber to homes and businesses. In addition to video services, all of which will be available in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2009. The target over the next five years is to offer enhanced service to 4 millions of subscribers.

After a strong evaluation phase, Atheeb Telecom decided to select - in March 2008 - ZTE as the sole supplier for an End-to-End IMS Solution and a long term partnership was set up.

2　 ZTE Solutions　　

ZTE delivered end-to-end IMS solution to Atheeb, including IMS core, service platform, DWDM, as well as other affiliated products such as Ethernet switch, router, firewall, and etc. For geographical redundancy, two set of IMS core elements were deployed in two main cities. Five set of MGWs were deployed in five cities to accomplish the inter-working between IMS network and PSTN/PLMN network.

The subscriber number is 650,000.

ZTE Solution Highlights:

●  The first IMS network covering WiMAX, xDSL, xPON access technologies in the world

●  Geographical redundancy

●  IMS-based online charging solution

●  IMS-based lawful interception and emergency call solution

3　 Atheeb Customer Benefits

●  Quickly achieves an operational network

●  Multi-network convergence

●  Lowers TCO