INTERNATIONAL

INTERCONNECT
WHAT IS INTERNATIONAL
INTERCONNECT?
INTERNATIONAL INTERCONNECT EXPLAINED
 International interconnect refers to the physical and logical connections between different telecommunications networks and service
providers across international borders. It enables the exchange of voice, data, and other communication services between networks
located in different countries.

 International interconnect plays a crucial role in ensuring global connectivity and facilitating international communications. It allows
users in one country to connect and communicate with users in another country through various means such as voice calls, messaging,
video conferencing, and internet access.

 The interconnection between networks is typically achieved through a combination of physical infrastructure, such as undersea cables,
satellite links, and land-based connections, as well as agreements and protocols that define the terms and conditions for exchanging
traffic and services between networks.

 International interconnect is governed by international agreements, industry standards, and regulatory frameworks to ensure fair and
equitable access, efficient routing of traffic, and reliable service quality across borders. These agreements and arrangements are
typically established and maintained by telecommunications regulators, industry associations, and network operators.

 Overall, international interconnect is a critical component of the global telecommunications infrastructure, enabling seamless
communication and connectivity between networks and users around the world.
NETONE ARCHITECTURE
NETONE ARCHITECTURE
EXPLAINED
 The NSN GMSC handles international voice calling, international voice and data roaming as well as
SMS traffic.
 NSN GMSC has an international point code H3303 that is used for routing information across
international networks through BICS.
 International traffic through TelOne is handled by TelOne as the TelOne IMS acts as an international
gateway. NSN MSC uses a national point code H1805 for the interconnection with TelOne.
 There are two destinations which NSN GMSC is connected on the BICS international link and these are
Switzerland Geneva and Zurich with point codes H11C6 and H11C7.
 These two cities handle all of our International roaming traffic, International SMS and all International
voice calls routed via BICS .
 All routing configurations for international traffic is done by command in the GMSC.
INTERNATIONAL
INTERCONNECT BILLING
 International interconnect billing is the process of calculating and charging for the exchange of telecommunications services between
different telecommunications operators or carriers across international boundaries. It involves determining the charges for services
such as voice calls, data transmission, or other interconnection arrangements between operators in different countries.

Some aspects of international interconnect billing:

 Interconnection Agreements: Telecommunications operators establish interconnection agreements with each other to define the terms,
conditions, and pricing for the exchange of traffic between their networks. These agreements cover aspects such as call termination
rates, transit charges, and other interconnection-related fees.

 Call Detail Records (CDRs): To calculate accurate billing charges, operators exchange CDRs that contain information about the calls
or services exchanged between their networks. CDRs typically include details like the calling and called party numbers, call duration
etc.

 Billing and Invoicing: Once the interconnect usage is determined based on the exchanged CDRs and the agreed-upon rates, the billing
process takes place. Operators generate invoices for the interconnect services provided or received, including relevant details such as
call volumes, rates, and charges.
INTERNATIONAL INTERCONNECT
BILLING IN NETONE
 Charging files (CDRs) are generated in the GMSC. These charging files are stored in the GMSC until they are
collected by billing team for billing process and invoice generation.
 The GMSC has three charging units (0,1 and 2), each with 4000 charging files. In these charging files are where the
CDRs are generated and stored. At every moment there is a file that is in open state and collecting CDRs and once it is
full, automatically the file is closed and another file is opened.
 The files are categorised into four statuses: Open, Full, Transferred and Unused. Once files are full they ought to be
transferred to billing for processing. If all charging files are full and not transferred for billing the system will
overwrite on the full files resulting in the loss of CDRs on the overwritten files. Acknowledging the transfer of files is
now done manually by CN team in agreement with the Billing team whereby the Billing team collects the full files and
informs the CN team to mark the range of the collected files as transferred.
 While billed user traffic is based on minutes of talk time, signalling traffic is billed on message signalling units
(MSUs) and it is NetOne that is billed by BICS on these MSUs.
INTERNATIONAL
INTERCONNECT
BILLING IN
NETONE CONT’D
 The screenshot shows the charging
files (CDRs) and their status. These
are the files that are generated in the
GMSC and collected by the Billing
team for billing purposes.
 These files are collected on a daily
basis to prevent loss of CDRs due to
overwriting of files.
GMSC ROUTINES FOR INTERNATIONAL INTERCONNECT
 Check Links and Link set States

ZNET;
 Check Status of all Voice Circuits

ZCEL:CGR=XXX; Where XXX is the circuit group number, eg BICS =816, 817, 820, & 821, TelOne
INT=803
 Check Status of all SIGTRAN Links

ZOYI::A;
 Check Signaling Link load

ZOLT;
 Active Alarms

MSS - ZAHO;
MGWs - ZAAP;
ROUTING CHECKS AND
CONFIGURATIONS
 Create a destination and sub-destination

ZRDE
 Check routing of calls for a particular destination

ZRIH:DIG=27, TREE=2, TON=INT;

 Change Routing

For example changing routing making BICS (BELGAOGA) the first choice (alternative 0)
ZRDC: DIG=27, TREE=2, TON=INT, :NSDEST=BELGAOGA: NCHA=CHARGE;
 Deleting a routing record

ZRDD:DIG=27, TREE=2, TON=INT, ALT=1; NB If ALT is not specified, all alternatives for that routing
record will be deleted
ALARMS TO NOTE
Checking Route State in NSN MSS
Checking Signalling Link Load in NSN MGWs
ZNAI; ZOLT;
NB: Links should be Available and Executing (AV-EX) not Available and NB: The acceptable normal load per signalling link should be less or equal to
Congested (AV-CONG) 0.5 Earlangs
ALARMS TO NOTE CONT’D
Check Links and Link set States in MGWs Check Alarms in MGWs

ZNET; ZAAP;

NB: Links should always be Available and Executing NB: Check for route set unavailable critical(AL3) alarms
(AV-EX) as below and not any other state
Check E1 Status in NSN MSC

ZCEL:CGR=XXX
 NB: E1s status should be Working and Executing (WO-
EX)

Check C/D Congestion Alarm in Huawei MSCs

 Check GTPC Tunnel Path Broken Alarms in the Huawei

SGSN(USN) with BICS IPs (94.102.173.1) for data
roaming failures
INTERNATION
AL ROAMING
 Both inbound and outbound
roaming traffic is handled by the
GMSC as well as SCCTGT
information for data roaming
from the local SGSNs.
INTERNATION
AL INCOMING
CALLS
 Signaling for incoming calls
from both BICS and Telone is
handled by the GMSC. The
GMSC has SIGTRAN links to
the HLRs which are used for
enquiry before the call is
forwarded to the respective VLR
in which the called partner is
located.
 For incoming SMS traffic,
routing from the GMSC to the
SMSC is done through HRE
MSC since there is no direct
connection between the GMSC
and the ZTE SMSC.
CHALLENGES OF INTERNATIONAL
INTERCONNECT
International interconnect faces several challenges:
 Technical compatibility: Ensuring different networks can interoperate seamlessly.

 Capacity management: Meeting the growing demand for international traffic.

 Security and privacy: Protecting data during international exchanges.

 Regulatory harmonization: Aligning regulations across countries.

BENEFITS OF INTERNATIONAL
INTERCONNECT
International interconnect brings numerous benefits:
 Global connectivity: Enabling seamless communication and collaboration across borders.
 Economic growth: Facilitating international trade, business partnerships, and economic
development.
 Cultural exchange: Promoting cultural understanding and knowledge sharing.

 Innovation: Fostering collaboration and innovation in the global telecommunications industry.

CONCLUSION
In conclusion, international interconnect in telecommunications enables the
exchange of voice and data traffic between countries through a complex web
of agreements, networks, and routing mechanisms. It allows carriers and
service providers to collaborate and provide seamless connectivity for their
customers across international borders, fostering global communication and
commerce.
THANK YOU