Private mobile networks (PMN) can be challenging for enterprises to manage, depending on the access they’re allowed to the Evolved Packet Core (EPC), the center of an LTE network, and the host of the intricate functionality capable by a PMN. The access allowed to the EPC can determine the network’s success in achieving its goals.
Access to the EPC enables organizations to have granular control over their network resources and fosters innovation and agility. Businesses can tailor their mobile networks to meet specific operational needs, ensuring low latency, high security, quality of service, and optimized data traffic management in their daily operations.
Future Wireless Field Science: an EPC Use Case
Around the country, US Department of Energy National Laboratory scientists are exploring ways to work in many remote locations where wired connectivity is hard to find. Capabilities like EPC may be potentially desirable for scientific data movement, allowing users to fine-tune network resources such as:
- Identity management and device security
- Quality of service
- Data routing
- Managing access to multiple networks
Proper Identity Management Keeps Networks Safe and Secure
Managing users and devices is critical to network security, ensuring that data is secure and only authorized users can access the network. Typical enterprise connectivity, such as Wi-Fi, uses one form of identification and authentication for devices, while 3GPP-based wireless networks use another. This causes IT departments difficulties, having to maintain two separate systems. A proper PMN management system provides tools that enable an organization to use the same Identity and Authentication Management (IAM) system for both networks, simplifying the work and ensuring security.
Proper identity management performs well on multiple PMNs as well. For example, if network A was in the mountains of Colorado and network B in the fields of Idaho, it could be set up so that users one and two could access network A (Colorado) while users two, three, and four could access network B (Idaho). This compartmentalization creates a proper separation of data.
Quality of Service Keeps Critical Functions Running Smoothly
Private mobile networks have additional advantages over other forms of wireless connectivity, such as Wi-Fi. One such advantage is the ability to prioritize traffic or specify Quality of Service (QoS), designating which applications have access to a specific amount of bandwidth. For example, if a network has a bandwidth of 200 Mbps, it can be designed so that application #1 has a dedicated 100 Mbps allocated, while application #2 has a dedicated 50 Mbps allocated. The remaining 50 Mbps would be divided up by all other applications as needed. If ESnet had a network in Wyoming that was constantly collecting data from ground sensors, the router connected to those sensors could have a dedicated QoS of 50 Mbps, leaving the other 150 Mbps for different applications or on-site researchers.
Interconnection and Peering of Data Helps Traffic Flow Simply
In addition to providing dedicated QoS, private mobile networks can be managed to route traffic from one private network to various locations based on specified rules, such as device or network location. Data peering allows two or more networks to exchange data traffic directly between their respective networks. Suppose an organization such as ESnet wants all its sensors on Mt. Denali in Alaska to go directly to its laboratory in Berkeley, California. A properly designed and administered PMN will easily handle the task.
Inter-Connected Private Networks Lets Users Move with Ease
Another attribute of a well-managed PMN is providing users and devices with seamless and reliable access within the network, another feature not available in Wi-Fi networks. When a device loses connectivity with an access point (AP) in a Wi-Fi network, it searches for another AP – often called “break before it shakes.” With a private mobile network, a mobile device establishes connectivity with a new AP before disconnecting with the current one – referred to as “shake and then break.” This always-connected functionality lends itself to mission-critical applications and those needing constant connectivity. In the same way, mobile devices need to connect with multiple private networks and roam within the same network. For example, our researchers in Colorado could have one network (A-1) set up on the near side of the mountain and another network (A-2) on the far side. Researchers need to be able to roam on both sides of the mountain as well as stay connected on each side. This separation of data will allow researchers to know which network, AP, and device the data came from. This will also enable field staff to visit disparate labs and send data to the appropriate locations – e.g., data from A-1 goes to Lab 1 and from A-2 to Lab 2.
Conclusion
In a world where seamless connectivity and precise control over network resources are critical, the importance of opening up the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) to the enterprise cannot be overstated. The benefits gained from enterprises and EPC access cannot be overstated and are poised to revolutionize how enterprises operate and innovate.
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