Supercomm: BellSouth Prepares for Mobile Internet

Preparing its network for the onslaught of the mobile Internet, Atlanta, GA-based BellSouth plans to strategically deploy as many as 56 Ericsson AXC 627 Tigris Access Servers in 28 Mobile Switching Centers throughout its footprint. The servers, part of Ericsson's Integrated Access System wireless solution, will complement an ongoing upgrade of BellSouth's TDMA infrastructure, allowing BellSouth to offer wireless e-mail and fax capabilities, mobile Internet access and, a host of next-generation services via Wireless Application Protocol (WAP).

The Tigris Access Servers will enable BellSouth's existing TDMA network to communicate directly with the Internet without relying on other go-between networks for transport. Such a topology sets the stage for BellSouth's subscribers to access Web-based information or browse Web.

By placing the access servers throughout the network rather than centralizing the Internet gateways to a few switching centers BellSouth is planning ahead for the demand of next-generation services.

Using Ericsson's SS7 signaling gateway technology and the Tigris servers, circuit-switched TDMA traffic from BellSouth's wireless network will be converted directly into Internet Protocol (IP) packet data, and vice versa, allowing information to flow unimpeded between the two networks. The plan is that the access servers will allow the data to traverse BellSouth Mobility's wireless network as fluently as voice traffic does today.

"We are expecting tremendous demand for advanced wireless applications and services and are eager to move forward as quickly as the technology permits," said Rick Clawson, vice president engineering and operations of Bellsouth Mobility. "In fact, we will launch wireless Internet access service on our GSM networks in July of this year."

Edited by Ellen Jensen