Application Example: SS7-over-IP-over-Satellite

Why send SS7-over-IP-over-satellite?

SS7 messages are necessary to mobile communications. Traditionally, SS7 messages are transmitted over dedicated SS7 links. These links are very expensive to lease and therefore do not exist in remote locations where the amount of traffic does not justify the cost of the link. Transmitting SS7 messages over IP over satellite enables mobile communication to occur from virtually any point on earth, even the middle of the ocean.

How does it work?

In much the same way that SS7 messages are sent over IP on dedicated terrestrial links, SS7 messages can be wrapped in IP packets and sent over satellite for increased reliability over standard TDM SS7 satellite transmission. The Internet Engineering Task Force's (IETF) Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) standard can be used to ensure the same level of high reliability as when transporting messages by traditional methods.

Standard SS7 messaging has very stringent delay parameters and is typically designed to be transported by one of the most reliable, robust networks in the world. When sending SS7 over satellite, inherent transmission delays tend to cause problems with standard SS7 messaging. The use of SCTP helps to alleviate some of these issues by providing better resiliency to network latency and packet loss. The flexibility of SCTP allows our customers to configure their equipment to be able to solve many of the typical issues that are observed when trying to send SS7 over satellite.

What products do we provide in this application?

SEGway™ Link Replacement Devices: Are deployed in pairs and positioned next to wireless network entities such as switches and Signal Transfer Points (STPs).