Canada's SaskTel Taps BroadForward Next Generation Diameter Signaling Controller

SaskTel and BroadForward have announced that the BroadForward Next Generation Diameter Signaling Controller (BroadForward DSC) is now in full operation on SaskTel’s wireless network.

The BroadForward DSC provides SaskTel with the ability to integrate and operate intelligent Diameter signaling scenarios across networks and vendor-specific implementations.

It offers support for signaling scenarios across other protocols such as SS7, SIP, ENUM, RADIUS and HTTP. SaskTel assessed multiple leading Diameter router vendors and selected the BroadForward DSC to fully replace their F5 SDC Diameter routers.

Based in the province of Saskatchewan in the heartland of Canada’s prairie region, SaskTel is a major player in the Information, Communications, & Technology (ICT) sector. With $1.2 billion in annual revenue and 1.4 million customer connections, SaskTel is also the leading full-service communications provider in the province, offering Mobile, Fixed/Wi-Fi, IP-TV, Landline, and Security services.

The BroadForward Next Generation DSC provides SaskTel with an easy to configure, multi-protocol routing and interworking software solution, designed to orchestrate converged signaling services across 2G/3G, 4G/LTE, Fixed/Wi-Fi networks and ultimately 5G. The BroadForward DSC is widely adopted by leading global Mobile Network Operators, MVNOs and IPX providers.

Daryl Godfrey, SaskTel Chief Technology Officer “The new DSC provides SaskTel with a powerful, integrated set of signaling routing and multi-protocol interworking capabilities. This interworking touches everything from simple data usage, billing, roaming, lost and stolen device checking, and service enablement for our Fusion service. This product offers much more flexibility compared to traditional signaling router products, allowing us to independently orchestrate signaling services across our current networks and services. As well, our future networks and services, like VoLTE, ViLTE, Vo-WiFi and ultimately 5G will be integrated and orchestrated with ease. And, because of their extensive experience in replacing legacy signaling infrastructure, the migration to the BroadForward DSC was succesful”.

Taco Schoute, CEO of BroadForward, added “SaskTel is a great customer to work with. They have a long experience with signaling solutions, and wealth of in-house signaling expertise. SaskTel compared all major routing vendors and immediately understood the benefits of the BroadForward Next Generation DSC.

SaskTel’s engineering and operations teams, in close cooperation with our experts, managed a fast adoption of the BroadForward DSC in the SaskTel network. We are delighted that the switch-over from the legacy router to the BroadForward DSC was achieved as planned, without any hick-ups.”

SaskTel is the leading Information and Communications Technology (ICT) provider in Saskatchewan, with over $1.2 billion in annual revenue and approximately 1.35 million customer connections including 610,000 wireless accesses, 345,000 wireline network accesses, 283,000 Internet accesses and 112,000 maxTV subscribers.

SaskTel and its wholly-owned subsidiaries offer a wide range of ICT products and services including competitive voice, data and Internet services, wireless data services, maxTV services, data centre services, cloud-based services, security monitoring services, advertising services, and international software and consulting services.