BENEFITS OF OPTIMAL ROUTING IN ROAMING – PERSPECTIVES
PREDNOSTI OPTIMALNOG RUTIRANJA U ROMINGU – PERSPEKTIVE
Jelena Jovkovi , Zvonko Miloševi
Telekom Srbija, MTS 064
I. INTRODUCTION
There are important economic, political and social
aspirations in extending mobile network. The challenges
associated with global roaming today require
comprehensive tools to efficiently and successfully
manage roaming coverage. International roaming
agreements are one way to achieve this [1]. Standard
forms and templates in GSM Data Management used by
GSM operators are available to facilitate roaming partner
negotiation and management. Increased profitability
through roaming management is expected. Revenue
generated from roaming calls represents a substantial
proportion of a typical operator's total income, usually
between 15-20%.
Optimal Routing enables operators to route all in-network
roaming subscriber calls in the most efficient manner,
leading to reduced costs and increased margins. The cost
savings can either be passed on to the subscribers, thereby
increasing loyalty, or retained by the operator to improve
profit margins. This service enables operators to optimize
their operational costs while better serving their roamers to
intelligent services and attractive roaming call costs [2].
This leads to increased roamer stickiness to the network, to
benefit from of the service and cost benefits, and hence
produces long-term sustainable revenue streams. Telekom
Srbija can share the significant cost savings with the
calling and called parties, encouraging inbound roamers to
register and stay with the network.
II. GSM DATA MANAGEMENT - GSM ROAMING
DATA MANAGEMENT
Data Management Services (DMS) should provide
operators with a robust, web-based application and tools to
manage all aspects of roaming operations, from system
access and controls to new agreement negotiation.
Roaming Data Management Services should also provide
complete TAP validation, audit control, and reporting
functionality required to effectively manage the many
roaming relationships of GSM operators. Adequate
platform needs to be secure environment which provides
operators non-stop access to data processing, reporting and
customer support [3]. The DMS has to be fully integrated
with financial settlement program, providing a
comprehensive solution for all wireless voice, data, and m-
Commerce transaction data management and financial
settlement needs.
Data Management System DMS offers reports in four
primary categories: operational, financial, marketing, and
fraud/usage. DMS provides the operator with numerous
standard reports and the flexibility to create user defined
reports that meet unique or specialized needs. With these
reporting tools, operators can perform traffic analysis,
benchmark services, target market, and track financial
results from all roaming activity.
Roaming Administration: Operators are able to access,
enter, and modify new and existing roaming agreements
online [4]. A GSM Data Bank is to be included containing
public details of GSM networks, operators, codes, and
contacts. Various schedules, tasks, operations, edits, alerts,
and follow-ups can be configured at the individual
roaming partner level.
III. HOME SHORT CODE
It is a sufficiently difficult task selecting the most
economical package of national and international call costs
without having to allow the highly variable and extremely
complex roaming prices. In order to minimise roaming
costs a user requires to consider the time of day, the range
of available operators and the destination of the call, all of
which affect the charges. All of these could be avoided by
aplication of Home Short Code sytem [5].
Home Short Code is a feature-rich translation service that
allows travelers to continue using their familiar short
codes for home-based VAS (Value Added Service) while
roaming (for example, voice-mail, customer-care,
directory assistance). Using unique global database of
mobile networks around the world lets operators
temporarily adopt visiting roamers as their customers by
providing easy access to VAS. Operators can significantly
maximize the Home Short Code solution with the
integration of Global Direct Access and Welcome
SMS/MMS Delivery services.
Local calls to inbound roamers are expensive due to
routing inefficiencies which involve an international leg to
and from the home network. Optimal Routing is a simple,
cost-effective solution, available today, which enables the
visited network to route the call directly. Only visited
network resources are used, and international tromboning
and HPMN handling are eliminated, thereby significantly
reducing international call costs [6].
Global Direct Access
Global Direct Access guarantees transparent access to
VAS by delivering the international travelers’ Calling Line
Identification (CLI) information to the home network. This
enables roamers to continue using their familiar short
codes, eliminating the need for cumbersome international
numbers and lengthy authentication sessions, exactly as if
they were at home.
Easy Codes for the Prepaid Roaming SIM
A truly great feature of the Home Short Code is that
subscriber can use the same short codes, no matter where
he is, regardless of the country he is "roaming" or traveling
in. Thus anyone quickly gets used to calling the same
numbers and don't have to look them up, or use different
numbers from different countries.
IV. OPTIMAL ROUTING
The purpose of Optimal Routing is to route calls from their
originating point directly to the terminating mobile without
passing (through) Home. Optimal Routing is a means to
overcome a painful call scenario that is experienced in
roaming situation. Today, any call placed to an inbound
roamer (B in the Fig. 1. below) from within the VPMN
will first be routed by the serving MSC to the roamer’s
home network. The GMSC of B’s home network
interrogates the HLR for routing information of the call to
its destination. As a result of the query, the call is routed
back to the MSC serving B at the VPMN, resulting in two
international call legs. This scenario is also called
“international trombone” [2].
General Description
The caller may be either a VPMN local subscriber or
another inbound roamer arriving from any HPMN or
PSTN subscriber of the visited country or it may be
originated in another in-country mobile network. The
result of this scenario is a high call cost to the operators
involved. This cost is also transferred to the subscribers –
both A and B.
Fig.1. Current Situation: International Trombone
Routing calls to a roaming mobile can be very inefficient
in utilization of trunks and switching resources. However,
solutions stumble because it is difficult to examine a phone
number and even more, it is difficult to determine whether
the phone is accessible using the same Mobile Application
Part (e.g. GSM MAP).
Traffic Redirection
Traffic Redirection enables operators to proactively
contact their outbound roamers and influence the choice of
network on which they roam when overseas [7]. This
enables operators to direct roamers to their preferred
partners resulting in maximization of roaming revenues.
Global operator groups can tremendously benefit from this
service by retaining roamers within their group properties
globally, thus preventing roaming revenue leakage to their
competitors. Roamers also benefit via access to familiar
roaming services and attractive call costs by being on their
home operator’s preferred partner networks.
Billing Complications
There are several solutions to the billing problems raised
by optimal routing. One is to leave the charges paid by the
calling party unchanged. This means they will sometimes
pay toll charges for a call with no toll leg (which is not
likely to upset carriers, but this could possibly upset
regulators and consumers).
Another solution is to apportion the charges, ensuring
neither party ever pays more than they would in a non-
optimal routing case. This may require wireless– landline
billing record exchange, something that is avoided today.
With the trend towards fixed rate calling plans from both
wireless and long distance companies, a simple solution is
probably the best [8]. The calling party can be charged
their standard long distance calling rate, and the called
mobile can be charged their standard combined
airtime/long distance rate, with the carrier pocketing the
savings.
V. SOLUTION OVERVIEW: OPTIMAL ROUTING
FOR TELEKOM SRBIJA
Optimal Routing eliminates the need for any international
leg as well as HPMN handling, thereby significantly
reducing international call costs. The entire call route is
bounded within the Telekom Srbija network. Telekom
Srbija may decide to keep all of the cost saving or share it
with the caller and called parties, thus encouraging
inbound roamers to register and stay with the network.
The Optimal Routing solution is based on the same
IntelliGate platform that runs roaming services using its
Integrated Call Manager and Integrated Promotion Tools.
Optimal Routing and the Welcome SMS promotion tool
complement each other. A Welcome message is used to
inform the inbound roamer about the new offering as well
as new dialing rule (if required as later explained) to allow
reduced prices of international calls. The Visitor
Information Repository- that is the roamer database- built
up by the SS7 monitoring system, provides the presence
information as well as the necessary MSC/VLR location
information [2].
An Optimal Routing call may be originated by the
following:
• A Telekom Srbija subscriber
• Another inbound roamer visiting the Telekom
Srbija network
• Any other network (e.g. the PSTN, another PMN
in the visited country) provided that the call
arrived to the Telekom Srbija network and routed
by its GMSC to the IntelliGate.
Benefits to Telekom Srbija
With Optimal Routing, Telekom Srbija eliminates the use
of international legs and the associated costs. Lower call
rates also:
1. Attract and retain inbound roamers
2. Encourage more local network traffic
3. Offer a competitive advantage in the local market
4. Provide better revenue streams
Functionality - Service access
The Optimal Routing application is capable of providing
flexibility for optional service access methods. The
Optimal Routing service supports a Prefix-based access
and optional Non-prefix based access. It should be
mentioned that a prefix-based access is currently the
selected method in all field deployments [9]. The
implementation of the two services is different, as
described in the following sections.
Prefix-based access
The caller uses a designated prefix, as pre-configured by
Telekom Srbija, instead of the standard ‘00’ or ‘+’ prefix
used for international calls. As an example, should
Telekom Srbija choose to use #0, then when calling a
visiting German subscriber who is registered to the
Telekom Srbija network, the caller would dial
#049yyyxxxxxx.
A German mobile subscriber arriving to the Telekom
Srbija network automatically receives a Welcome SMS
message explaining the dialing rule, and passes this
information to potential callers. Appreciating the cost
saving, people will in time use the rule whenever the
visitor arrives to the Telekom Srbija network.
Using the global dialing database, the country code within
the Welcome SMS message can be automatically inserted
by the application, thereby eliminating the need to create a
separate message for each home country [10].
Prefix-based access ensures a selective routing for call
control. Based on the special dialing rule, the MSC routes
only calls that are targeted for optimal routing to the
IntelliGate platform. The IntelliGate validates the presence
of the called party, qualifies its rights for Optimal Routing
and queries the appropriate VLR for routing information,
using standard MAP messaging. Finally it routes the call
directly to the called party.
In the case of prefix-based service the calls can be easily
rated using the prefix as an indicator. If the IVR option is
selected then the CDR transfer is recommended in order to
distinguish between optimally routed calls and
conventionally routed calls.
Technical implementation – prefix based access
• Integration
The IntelliGate is connected to the MSC in a Loop-Around
configuration. Loop-Around is a “quasi-IN” solution, in
the sense that it does not require voice channels between
the MSC and the IntelliGate. Signaling is pure ISUP, and
no IN trigger is involved [11].
With Loop-Around, every call requires two ports on the
MSC. These ports are connected together (that is the loop)
through a cable. So, there is always a voice path between
these two ports. The IntelliGate interfaces to the MSC with
SS7 signaling (ISUP) for call control to control the looped-
around ports.
• Call Flow
The figure below describes the call flow:

Handling exceptions
The service runs qualification criteria on called parties
(inbound roamers). Only qualified called-parties are
granted Optimal Routing service. The criteria are: the
roamer’s HPMN, IMSI range and Other networks in (in
case that routing information is available in events where
the called party is registered in a competitive network).
In the event that Optimal Routing is not possible, the
application supports interactive voice response (IVR)
informing that the dialed number is temporarily
unavailable at the discounted rate and that it would be
charged by international rates.
Fig.2. Technical Solution – Call Flow based on Loop-
Features Around
Optimal Routing solution provides Fast Roaming,
incoming&outgoing, due to support for all short codes
from first day of service, with minimum technical
resources and investment simplifies, VAS dialing and
access improving user satisfaction, increases revenue
potential by attracting more inbound roamers and
encouraging network use. Step 1 Caller A dials to visitor B using
the designated prefix.
Billing Step 2 The MSC identifies the prefix
Per each call the IntelliGate platform generates a Call and sends Initial Address
Details Record (CDR) that includes all the necessary data Message (IAM) to the
required by the Telekom Srbija billing system in order to IntelliGate.
properly rate the Optimal Routing calls.Generated CDR’s Step 3 The IntelliGate finds B in the
can be flexibly formatted to meet the Telekom Srbija Visitor Information Repository
requirements, and be periodically transferred on a secured (VIR) including the MSC/VLR
file transfer communication. Optimal Routing CDR’s are number now serving B. If B is
marked to allow Telekom Srbija to correctly identify these qualified, the IntelliGate sends a
calls and rate them according to its tariff policy [2]. MAP-PROVIDE-ROAMING-
NUMBER (MAP-PRN)
 message to the VLR.
Step 4 The VLR sends a response
message containing MOBILE-
SUBSCRIBER-ROAMING-
NUMBER (MSRN).
Step 5 The IntelliGate sends IAM to
the MSC using the MSRN and
referring to the port that is
looped-back to the one refrred
to in step 2.
Step 6,7 The MSC routes the call to be B
according to the MSRN routing
information
With this solution, no HLR interrogation is required, i.e.
the entire solution is performed within the Telekom Srbija
network. There is no HPMN involvement, not even by
signaling. If an error answer is received from the VLR, the
IntelliGate opens an IVR session, telling the caller to use
the conventional routing scheme to reach the desired
number.
If the caller disconnects, the application releases the call to
the MSC with an agreed RELEASE-CAUSE, otherwise
the IntelliGate places a call to the MSC using a standard
format of the original called number.
VI. CONCLUSION
Optimal Routing eliminates costly international trombone
of calls made to roamers within the Telekom Srbija
network, as it requires no international leg or HPMN
handling. Optimal Routing can be add to Integrated Call
Manager and Integrated Promotion Tools enriching the
suite of roaming services that mobile network operators
can offer their subscribers and inbound roamers.
Optimal Routing offers one of the most powerful roaming
solution available for mobile operators today, with
lucrative roaming services that generate revenue. By
incorporating Short Code system in roaming and dialing
capabilities, operator MTS 064 (Telekom Srbija) can meet
the needs of its inbound and outbound roamers with
existing network resources.
Operators using similar services have demonstrated that
the tight integration of the roaming services and
capabilities with the sophisticated SMS/MMS promotion
tools increases use, air time and roaming revenues.
Powered by Optimal Routing advanced mobile technology
and expertise, operators can deploy the Integrated
Roaming Services easily, with minimal financial and
technological resources.
Having 3G technology implemented it is needed to ensure
that roaming on third generation networks will provide
much wider range of services that are complex issues of
data protection and privacy which must be prvisioned
quickly and profitably by applaying integrated roaming
services.
REFERENCES
[1] Commercial Proposal for Telekom Srbija,
STARHOME, March 2003.
[2] Roaming Service Delivery Platform, STARHOME,
Copyright© 2002 Starhome.
[3] Patrick Mannion, Roaming nets propel digital media
market, EE Times, 2003.
[4] David Crowe, Optimal Routing: A compilation of
Cellular Networking Perspectives, Cellular Networking
Perspectives, January 2001.
[5] Integrated Roaming Services Sources, INTUG 2003.,
[6] http://www.intug.net/views/national_roaming.html:
[7]http://www.belgacom.be/web/res/documents/tariffs/Ben
efit+_EN.pdf
[8]http://customer.proximus.be/download/internat_fr.pdf
[9]http://www.smartone.com.hk/cgi-
bin/cyberface/roaming.pl#pulldown
[10]http://www.smartone.com.hk/cgi-
bin/cyberface/idd.pl?show=tariff
[11]http://www.hkt.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?page
name=PCCW/PCCWHK/ProductsServices/ProductConten
t&cid=1007415912878&pagelang=eng&columnid=2#
[12]http://www.hkt.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?page
name=PCCW/PCCWHK/ProductsServices/ProductConten
t&cid=1007415920121&pagelang=eng&columnid=2#
[13]http://www.everdialback.com/rates.asp
[14]http://www.mobistar.be/en/optimum/1595/bill.htmll
Abstract: A feature of the widespread adoption of the GSM
(Global System for Mobile communications) standard is
that phones can be used in many countries. Most operators
have roaming agreements with operators in many other
countries. On arrival in a foreign country the handset
automatically detects available networks and connects to
one of these. Optimal Routing is a means to overcome a
painful call scenario that is experienced in roaming
situation. Optimal Routing eliminates the need for any
international leg as well as HPMN handling, thereby
significantly reducing international call costs. This
document describes in general the Optimal Routing
service, benefits and perspective for Telekom Srbija, both
for the operator MTS 064, and the subscribers. Roaming
management is just one example that can help to increase
profitability of operator through complete GSM Roaming
Data Management.
BENEFITS OF OPTIMAL ROUTING IN ROAMING
– PERSPECTIVES, Jelena Jovkovic, Zvonko Milosevic,