Challenges
By the time INSTANET (Insta Telecom) approached VAS Experts in the summer of 2022, the operator was using Juniper equipment as its BNG solution. As the subscriber base grew, the existing architecture could no longer handle the increasing load and limited traffic management capabilities.
INSTANET set out to migrate to a modern software-based platform that would:
- Combine BNG, CG-NAT, and QoE functions within a single solution;
- Enable flexible management of subscriber traffic and prioritization;
- Preserve the existing architecture and integration with billing and RADIUS;
- Ensure scalability without requiring network redesign.
Solution
To achieve these goals, INSTANET (Insta Telecom) selected the Stingray Service Gateway from VAS Experts — a software platform that combines routing, authorization, NAT, and intelligent traffic management (QoE) capabilities.
During setup, a local DHCP was used, test subscribers were created, and business scenarios and tariff plans were verified. After successful testing, the solution was moved into production.
The operator also added the VAS Experts attribute dictionary to its own billing system, ensuring proper RADIUS interaction. Around 10 500 private IP addresses were used on the NAT level, optimizing address space utilization.
Scaling and Operation
As the number of subscribers and traffic volume continued to grow, INSTANET gradually increased BNG performance:
- A second 4G-capacity server was added;
- Both BNG servers were later upgraded — the first from 2G to 6G, the second from 4G to 6G;
- Eventually, the first server was further upgraded to 10G.
At every stage, VAS Experts engineers provided round-the-clock technical support and guidance. This close cooperation enabled seamless upgrades with no service interruptions and ensured stable network operation even during peak loads.
Results
After deploying the Stingray Service Gateway with BNG, CG-NAT, and QoE functionality, INSTANET achieved:
- Stable network performance under high load;
- Flexible traffic and tariff plan management;
- Efficient IP address utilization;
- Reliable integration with billing and authorization systems;
- Detailed analytics and full real-time traffic visibility;
- Fast 24/7 technical support from VAS Experts specialists.
Future Plans
INSTANET continues to develop its network in partnership with VAS Experts. The company regularly renews technical support, applies engineering recommendations for optimization, and plans further BNG capacity expansion as its subscriber base grows.
Client Feedback
We started with one server, and today the system processes tens of gigabits of traffic without failures. The migration to the VAS Experts solution went smoothly — all configuration and testing took just a few months. The company’s engineers are always available and respond quickly to any issues. Thanks to the Stingray Service Gateway with BNG functionality, we now have a stable, flexible, and scalable platform that fully meets our needs and provides deep network analytics.
Mohammad Ratib Wahidi
IP NOC & Technical Supervisor at INSTANET (Insta Telecom)
