The task of optimal bandwidth allocation for subscribers is relevant for any telecom operator that has an expensive or narrow incoming channel. The Latin American telecom operator Yota de Nicaragua chose the Stingray Service Gateway for traffic shaping and marking. Let’s talk about the advantages of that choice.
About Yota de Nicaragua
Yota de Nicaragua is a telecom operator providing Internet access in Latin America. The main objective of the company is to provide Internet access services to corporate entities and individuals via a radio communication channel. The total number of network subscribers is about 20 thousand active users.
The Republic of Nicaragua is a state in Central America. It is the largest country in Central America with an area of 129,494 square kilometers. It borders Honduras in the north and Costa Rica in the south. The capital is Managua which is the largest city in Nicaragua and the third-largest city in Central America. Almost a quarter of the Nicaraguan population lives in the capital, and about 6 million people of different nations live in the country. The official language is Spanish. Biological diversity, warm tropical climate, and active volcanoes make Nicaragua a very popular tourist destination.
Features of Internet access in Latin America and the challenges faced by Yota de Nicaragua
Latin America has very expensive communication channels, and Nicaragua is no exception. The issue of economical bandwidth allocation is extremely acute.
Yota de Nicaragua provides services in both classic WTTx and mifi, therefore, the radio resource (channel bandwidth, load balancing) for the provider is a priority. The primary tasks were:
- speed shaping
- traffic marking
- statistics gathering
Stingray Service Gateway helped not only categorize traffic but also set appropriate priorities:
- Service traffic. Statistics gathering from the CPE and monitoring
- DNS
- mpeg4
- HTTP.
Stingray platform implementation process and scheme
Initially, the network was built on Cisco SCE 2020. Simultaneously with the launch of services provided by WiMAX technology, the operator had to implement BRAS on ready-made ASN-GW solutions. SCE 2020 ceased to cope and the question of replacing it came up.
Stingray SG is implemented in-line, using bypass network cards. Also, integration over the ssh protocol with the billing system was performed.
Stingray Service Gateway implementing scheme in Yota de Nicaragua network
We did not encounter any problems during the implementation of Stingray Service Gateway. When there were difficulties with the configuration, they were quickly fixed with the help of VAS Experts technical support, says Dmitry Erankevich, development director at Yota de Nicaragua, about the implementation process.
Choosing Stingray SG solution
Yota de Nicaragua chose a traffic management service provider without a tender. The decision to implement the SSG platform was made after practical testing, which showed a positive result.
The main reason to choose Stingray Service Gateway was the quality meeting the price and interoperability of the system. Also, the general impression of the company and engineers of its product was good.
In the nearest future Yota de Nicaragua plans to deploy a full-fledged BRAS with NAT and IPv6 support, and is also testing DDoS protection capabilities.
You can learn more about the advantages of Stingray SG, its effective use on the networks and changing equipment, from specialists at VAS Experts, a developer, and supplier of Stingray traffic analysis system.