The Cisco next-generation Internet architecture, including elastic packet core, mobile backhaul, and service provider Wi-Fi solutions, will help SFR deploy the widest range of heterogeneous radio networks (2G/3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi), capture new business opportunities, foster new business models and meet rapidly growing network demands.

The simplicity of this all-IP architectural play provides the operational efficiency that was key in enabling SFR to be first to market.

As part of its ongoing efforts to deliver a superior mobile experience, SFR’s new network will provide customers throughout France with greater network speeds and a higher quality of service over 4G LTE, complemented by high-capacity mobile backhaul and select Wi-Fi access.

Serving more than 20 million customers in its mobile network over its 2G and 3G mobile network, SFR was the first service provider in France to offer 4G LTE benefits to its customers.

After Lyon, Villeurbanne and Montpellier in 2012, and la Défense (a major district in Paris) in January, SFR will, at the end of June 2013, cover 10 cities in 4G -- including Lille, Marseille, Strasbourg and Toulouse.

Moreover, as part a strategic investment that meets both today's needs and anticipates future requirements, SFR’s 4G LTE service enables data speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second.

Platform for High-Growth Mobile Internet Offerings

In addition to SFR’s 4G deployment, Cisco will also support the service provider’s 2G and 3G cellular networks with its Cisco Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) and Cisco Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN).

According to the Cisco Visual Networking Index (VNI) Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast Update (2012-2017), 4G is expected to support nearly 10 percent of all mobile connections and 45 percent of mobile data traffic by 2017.

The Cisco ASR 5000 Series, based on StarOS, is a robust, elastic multimedia services platform that brings a new level of network and customer intelligence coupled with the ability to provide dynamic quality of service, policy control and analytics to the mobile network. Such intelligence is critical for SFR to deliver real-time, personalized mobile services and monetize its mobile network. The elastic evolved packet core provides intrachassis virtualization capable of allocating resources on demand across transactions, throughput and sessions, and it allows SFR to converge its packet core applications onto a single platform, which is bringing operational simplicity and efficiency.

The Cisco Elastic Packet Core will provide 4G LTE Mobility Management Entity (MME), Serving Gateway (SGW), Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW), 2G/3G GGSN and SGSN applications. The MME is critical to the network function of the 4G LTE network. The Cisco MME manages multiple back-end functions, including authentication, paging, mobility with 3GPP 2G and 3G nodes, roaming and other functions. The Cisco Serving Gateway (SGW) and the Cisco Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW) are two essential elements to SFR’s 4G LTE mobile network. The Cisco SGW provides superior throughput and processing, while the Cisco PGW acts as policy enforcement, managing quality of service (QoS).

SFR is also deploying the Cisco ASR 901 and Cisco ASR 903 mobile backhaul solutions. This enables SFR to lower operating costs, implement a new class of price performance and flexible service delivery and provide flexible commercial options with a goal to continuously optimize and drive down the transport cost per bit to their network. It accelerates the support of any type radio access and implements an aggressive next-generation IP RAN through several backhaul topologies including “Fiber to the radio site.”

In support of SFR’s customer-retention strategy, the Cisco service provider Wi-Fi solution provides carrier-grade, highly secure, heterogeneous access to enable a high-quality mobile experience. Cisco’s Passpoint technology helps ensures a consistent experience as users roam between indoor venues and the cellular network.