Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (“Huawei”), a leader in providing next generation telecommunications network solutions for operators around the world, today announced that its integrated service solution and sophisticated mobile softswitch equipment had successfully sustained peak telecom traffic for Saudi Telecom Company (“STC”) during the Hajj. This is the second consecutive year that Huawei has ensured that STC had adequate capacity to support the enormous increase in demand for services during this period.
The Hajj is the world’s largest annual religious pilgrimage to the city of Mecca with more than three million participants from around the world gathering within a 10 km² area. Over a five-day period, this area is one of the highest mobile traffic densities in the world, creating some unique network challenges for operators such as STC. This year, the total traffic volume borne over the STC’s network increased by 30 percent over the previous year with peak traffic volume recorded at 19 times the usual rate, while the number of short messages and handoffs increased by 137 and 118 times respectively.
In 2006, STC achieved operational excellence during the Hajj period achieving smooth, non-interrupted network operations for the first time, by relying on Huawei’s robust mobile softswitch solution that possesses large capacity and high processing capabilities. This year even with a rise in traffic volume, STC was able to repeat its impressive performance reporting zero incidence of overload, interruption or faults with its network.
According to STC, the operator was pleased to work with Huawei to meet its commitment to provide excellence to customers and ensuring that the highest quality of service was extended throughout the Hajj period. Based on Huawei’s specialized network services and sophisticated softswitch equipment, STC was able to provide more network services at higher quality for its mobile users.
In addition to the mobile softswitch solution, STC also deployed Huawei’s specialized network services to ensure smooth operations during peak traffic conditions. Huawei’s comprehensive network optimization solution is able to boost the resource utilization ratio by evenly distributing load over the network based on an analysis of consumer behavior, traffic model predictions and evaluation of network resources usage. Huawei engineers also took into consideration the complicated multi-vendor network structure and designed detailed solutions to ensure network stability regardless of the level of performance of any component equipment in the network. With the network operation and maintenance tool system, Huawei was able to collect data in real time, analyze and monitor the data in support of effective network maintenance.
"We are glad that Saudi Telecom has gone smoothly through the Hajj once again. Huawei mobile softswitch equipment has won scalable deployment in over 60 countries, and serves over 170 million users. Huawei has accumulated abundant experiences and developed specialized service expertise. We will work more closely with the operators and provide integrated solutions that may include consultancy, network design and planning, network evaluation and optimization, and tool management, so as to enhance the value of the operators," commented Mr Ding Yun, Huawei’s President of Core Network Product Line.
