Last week, Dialogic hosted “Interacting with LTE Networks,” a webinar that covered signaling and media interactions trends for 2G, 3G and LTE networks.  There Are many signaling interworking scenarios to consider. For example, there is a spec called TS 29.305 that covers interworking between Diameter and SS7/MAP.  This would occur when LTE and 3G/2G network interactions need to occur.

Interworking needs to happen between LTE networks as well, since so many different Diameter variants are out there. Without universally-endorsed standards, it’s easy to either interpret or implement the spec just a little differently.   As such, interworking between Diameter variants is likely to need to occur.

Diameter interactions also need to occur outside of 3GPP networks.   Interactions with WiFi will need to occur when an LTE-enabled tablet moves into a WiFi area, and the billing and authentication switchover needs to occur seamlessly, then interworking between Diameter and Radius needs to occur.

Similar interactions could occur even with cable and DSL networks.

There are more than one million WiFi networks, over 1000 2G networks, over 500 3G networks, over 400 cable networks, even more DSL networks, and 163 live LTE Networks.   The number of signaling interactions is simply enormous.   Service providers will need to address them by adopting solutions that normalize protocols and facilitate any-to-any communications until LTE becomes the dominant network architecture – which is still several years away.