Starent Networks’ Serving Gateway (SGW) is a critical network function for the 4G mobile core network – known as the Evolved Packet Core (EPC). The SGW sits in the user plane where it forwards and routes packets to and from the eNodeB and Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW). The SGW also serves as the local mobility anchor for inter-eNodeB handover and mobility between 3GPP networks.

The SGW function is supported on Starent’s industry-leading ST-Series multimedia core platforms, delivering unrivaled throughput, call transaction rates, and packet processing, along with significant memory resources.

EPC specifications define a simpler, flatter network architecture. Starent’s SGW can be a standalone element or integrated with other EPC elements, including the Mobility Management Entity (MME), Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW), and Release 8 Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN). The SGW can also be integrated with 2G/3G elements, such as the Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) and Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN). This integration is the key to mobility and session management interworking between 2G/3G and 4G mobile networks.

By combining multiple functions into a single carrier-class platform, like the ST-Series, operators can reduce signaling overhead, bearer plane performance, distribute session management, and leverage the control and user plane capabilities. 

Key Features

• Integration of multiple core network functions
• High performance across all parameters – signaling, throughput, density, and latency
• Integrated intelligence in the SGW enables performance optimization, for example intelligent paging and prioritization
• Application aware buffer management
• Starent’s Fast Path optimizes tunneling performance while leaving abundant processing resources for combining multiple control plane functions on the same network element
• High-availability ensures subscriber satisfaction and 99.999% service uptime