More flexibility to authentication with Ut interface and Radiator GBA/BSF Pack

One of the carrier products in our Radiator product line is the Radiator GBA/BSF Pack. The main use case for this product has been providing the authentication for VoLTE supplementary services in carrier networks and Radiator GBA/BSF Pack has been in this use for many years. 

In addition to self-provisioning VoLTE supplementary services (call forwarding, call barring, knocking, etc.) the same GBA/BSF functionalities can be used for proxying authentication to different services as well - such as Rich Communication Services or different services for IoT devices, for example.

The main functionality in GBA/BSF is that after the initial authentication, end user authentication can be proxied directly to Application Specific servers via Ut interface. The basic architecture is shown on the diagram below.

The Ut interface and authentication proxying can also be used for example in secure IoT authentication for different products, such as IoT devices that need to be authorised and authenticated. In this use case as well, the IoT device is supplied with SIM/eSIM that authenticates with carrier HSS. After the initial authentication, the later authentications can be proxied using the Authentication Proxy provided by Radiator GBA/BSF Pack.  

Radiator provides flexibility when working with Ut interface

For Ut interface, there is a wide range of different vendor specific implementations from device manufacturers. This causes differences in user equipment behaviour across vendors.

This is where Radiator GBA/BSF shows its strengths: wide interoperability accommodating different user equipment within the same systems makes our Radiator GBA/BSF easy to integrate to different network environments. Radiator GBA/BSF’s implementation allows tweaking the configuration when unexpected behaviour is encountered and adjust accordingly.

This focus to accommodate multiple vendor-specific implementations is what we have been doing in recent releases of Radiator GBA/BSF Pack - latest release in April 2022: providing more interoperability based on real observed behaviour of the devices. In this development work, the feedback from our live carrier customer has been extremely valuable.

Would you like to know more?

If you would like to know more about Radiator GBA/BSF and how it can be used in your use case, please contact our team at info(a)radiatorsoftware.com

Transition from ISP to LTE Carrier - with the help of Radiator products

Recently, we have seen a transition with many operators evolving from traditional Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to LTE carriers who provide fixed line, WiFi, and mobile connections. At the same time, their needs for authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) become more complex. As an example, on top of a standard RADIUS AAA infrastructure, these carriers may need Diameter interfaces and a 3GPP AAA server.

For Radiator customers, we have made this transition as easy as possible - and with the flexibility of Radiator, it is easy to bring it to different infrastructures as a new solution.

How Radiator can help

As many of our customers have evolved from ISPs to LTE Carriers, their needs for different features have evolved at the same time. For these needs, we have developed Radiator Carrier class product line. In order to ensure cost-effective solutions, we offer a modular approach where you can purchase only the components that you will need in your project.

For example, many of our customers have used Radiator for both fixed and WiFi access for years. When they need to enable VoWiFi calling features, they can just add Radiator SIM Module to their network, and in this way, enable different EAP-SIM / EAP-AKA / EAP-AKA’ authentication methods and have a fully featured 3GPP AAA Server in their network as well.

Another example is our Radiator GBA/BSF Module that provides easy authentication for VoLTE supplementary services. This way you can ensure that VoLTE supplementary services (call forwarding, knocking, call barring) are in use in your LTE infrastructure without resorting to 2G/3G infrastructure.

Would you like to know more?

If you are interested in Radiator features such as Diameter interfaces, online charging, VoWiFi, or 3GPP AAA Server, you can find more details in our website or contact our sales team at sales@radiatorsoftware.com. We will be happy to help you with your project.

Radiator GBA/BSF Module: Seamless authentication to VoLTE Supplementary services

VoLTE (Voice over LTE) calling is now being used by mobile carriers in their networks all over the world.

With VoLTE calling, there is no dependency on the legacy circuit-switched voice network to be maintained, which has many benefits for the carrier infrastructure. As a part of this, the carrier network will need an easy way to authenticate also to VoLTE supplementary services, such as call forwarding, knocking and call barring.

For this need, we have created Radiator GBA/BSF Module on top of our Radiator. Radiator GBA/BSF Module makes authentication for VoLTE supplementary services easy by using General Bootstrapping Architecture (GBA). In addition to this GBA enables also extending SIM authentication to any operator WWW services. In addition, SIM authentication itself has authentication federation support, which can be used to produce services across virtual and other operators.

Our product, Radiator GBA/BSF Support Module works as an authentication proxy between the end-user UE and HSS. It authenticates user requests, and also separates the authentication procedure and the Application Specific server (AS) specific application logic to different logical entities.

Radiator GBA/BSF Architecture

Main technical product features

Radiator GBA/BSF Module is already being used in live networks in multiple countries. The main technical features include:

• Authenticating LTE subscribers for VoLTE supplementary services such as multimedia telephony service (MMTel) and multimedia telephony application server (MTAS)
• BSF server (Ub interface)  
• Authenticating Proxy (NAF/AP, Ut/Ua interface)
• Interoperable with all major EPC vendors (Nokia, Ericsson, Huawei)
• Interoperable with all major handset vendors (Samsung/Android, Apple, Nokia, Microsoft)

Would you like to know more?

Recently we introduced release 1.5.0 of Radiator GBA/BSF Module, with more focus on configuration examples and installation process - making it even easier product to implement in different carrier infrastructures. Our team at info@radiatorsoftware.com is happy to share with more info about our Radiator GBA/BSF Module product.

Radiator SIM Pack, Carrier Pack and Telco Pack releases

We are happy to announce we have now new releases of Radiator SIM Pack and Telco Pack – and also the first release (v. 1.0) of Radiator Carrier Pack, which is designed to address the needs of carriers.

Radiator Carrier Pack is targeted especially for carriers: it provides the interoperability, flexibility, and performance of Radiator, and it also includes Radiator Carrier Module. This module consists of advanced Radiator Diameter server software and Diameter relay software. These provide the platform for other Radiator carrier products: Radiator SIM Pack, Radiator Telco Pack and Radiator GBA/BSF Pack.

Initial release of Radiator Carrier Pack includes following features (and more can be found from revision history):

• The existing and new modules are reorganised. Base components from Radiator Telco Module are now included in Radiator Carrier Module.
• DiameterTelcoConnection now calls DiaPeer's send_reply() instead of calling send() directly. This is preferred to keep the peer state machine up to date.
• OriginHost and OriginRealm in DiaPeerDef support special formatting.
• Diameter initiator connections are now activated after the configuration has been loaded instead of during configuration loading.

Do you want to know more?

If you like to know more about Radiator Carrier Pack and other Radiator carrier products, please do not hesitate to contact our sales team at sales(a.t.)radiatorsoftware.com

OSC Radiator team available for meetings in 5G World, London 29 June - 1st July

We are happy to invite all our blog followers at our stand #43 at the 5G World in London Olympia, 29 – 30 June to discuss how we can help you with Radiator AAA solutions.

To have discussions on our solutions from one end to another, we have joined forces with representatives from Kapsch CarrierCom, one of our partner companies in a role of a systems integrator.

Let’s discuss together about your needs and challenges so we can offer better support you. Would you like to be among the first ones to hear the news on the Radiator roadmap? Top teasers include:

• Radiator NFV product line
• Our latest products such as Radiator GBA/BSF Support module
• VoLTE, VoWiFi, 3GPP AAA Server use cases
• New features on Radiator development roadmap 

Visit us at our stand during the event, or schedule a meeting in advance at sales(a.t.)radiatorsoftware.comAlso, separate meetings can be arranged on 1st of July in London. Just get in touch with the Radiator team at sales(a.t.)radiatorsoftware.com.

For more information about the event program, please visit the event website.

More interoperability with Radiator GBA/BSF Support Module v. 1.3

We are happy to announce Radiator GBA/BSF Support Module v. 1.3.

With Generic Bootstrapping Architecture (GBA), it is possible to provide seamless authentication for VoLTE Supplementary Services. This enables the end user to manage services, such as call forwarding, knocking and video call forwarding without switching networks or extra usernames and passwords.

Radiator GBA/BSF Support Module works as an authentication proxy between the end-user user device and the HSS. It authenticates the user requests, and also separates the authentication procedure and the Application Specific server (AS) functionality into different logical entities, for example, RCS (rich communication suite) services mentioned above.

What is new?

We have added interoperability fixes, and successful testing has now been done with user equipment from following vendors:

• Samsung
• Microsoft
• Apple

New features also include fixed username checks and fixed access handlers to work even when client does not send the HTTP user agent header. You can see all the updates from Radiator GBA/BSF Support module revision history.

Do you want to know more?

We are happy to provide more information, use cases and benefits about Radiator GBA/BSF Support Module. Just contact our team at info@open.com.au and we will tell you more.

VoLTE RCS is getting more support - be ready with Radiator

In Mobile World Congress last week, Google and several global operators announced the launch of a mobile industry initiative to accelerate the availability of Rich Communications Services (RCS) in Android. Operators have agreed to transition toward a common, universal profile based on the GSMA's RCS specifications and an Android RCS client provided by Google in collaboration with operators and OEMs.

For telcos and their customers, the improved user equipment support means that they can get more out of their VoLTE networks. For example, the following Android RCS features will become part of operator messaging experience:

• Group chat
• Sharing high-resolution photos
• Reading receipts

Also, GSMA RCS advanced calling features will be supported in the future by Google.

Be ready with Radiator

The support for VoLTE RCS requires seamless authentication in operator networks. This can be implemented with Radiator GBA/BSF Support Module. Radiator GBA/BSF Support Module works as an authentication proxy between the end-user UE and HSS. It authenticates the user requests, and separates the authentication procedure and the Application Specific server (AS) functions to different logical entities – for example, call forwarding and other Rich Communication Services.

Authentication architecture, when your end user device supports VoLTE RCS

We have already deployed Radiator GBA/BSF Support module to real operator networks in order to provide support for seamless VoLTE RCS authentication. In case you are interested in our solution, please contact our team at support info@open.com.au.

Implementing VoLTE supplementary services with Radiator GBA/BSF

Generic Bootstrapping Architecture (GBA) is a technology that enables the authentication of a user. This authentication is possible if the user owns a valid identity on an HSS (Home Subscriber Server). GBA is standardised at the 3GPP. The user authentication is instantiated by a shared secret, for example, a SIM card inside the mobile phone and the other is on the HSS.

With GBA, it is possible to provide VoLTE Supplementary Services, for example, Call Forwarding in VoLTE. Call Forwarding is an example of use case that cannot be pre-configured for all the subscribers because users want to configure their own forwarding number. With Radiator GBA/BSF module, this is possible to done in your VoLTE network – without the need to drop the user from VoLTE to other network.

How this is done with Radiator?

One of our customers had a need for VoLTE Supplementary Services in their network, and as a part of product development, a new Radiator GBA/BSF module was introduced to meet their needs.

One example architecture when using Radiator GBA/BSF module for VoLTE Supplementary Services

As it is shown in picture above, Radiator GBA/BSF module will work as a authentication proxy between the end-user UE and HSS. It will authenticate user requests, and also separate the authentication procedure and the Application Specific server (AS) specific application logic to different logical entities – such as VoLTE Supplementary Services.

After the authentication procedure has been completed, Radiator GBA/BSF module assumes the role of a reverse proxy, i.e. the AP forwards HTTP requests originating from the UE to the correct AS, and returns corresponding HTTP responses from the AS to the originating UE.

Need for VoLTE Supplementary Services in your own network?

In case you need VoLTE Supplementary Services, such as Call Forwarding, in your own network, please do not hesitate to contact our team at sales(a.t.)radiatorsoftware.com. Our team of experts is happy to assist with your project.