Steering of Roaming (SoR)

The BroadForward Steering of Roaming solution (BroadForward SoR) enables highly configurable (active) network based steering to manage distribution of roaming subscribers across visited networks. The BroadForward SoR solution is fully GSMA IR.73 compliant while offering a wide range of additional capabilities that work across 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G networks.

Steering Of Roaming across technologies and domains
The BroadForward SoR solution enables operators to configure preferred roaming distribution for subscribers across networks in visited countries without the need for (proprietary) scripting or development. The BroadForward SoR solution can run standalone or combined in a single-engine software solution. It offers unrivaled flexibility to create advanced roaming steering rules and scenarios, providing unique capabilities compared to most legacy SoR products:

  • Configurable statistical/calculation function to distribute roamers
  • Configurable number of network connect rejects or rejection period per user
  • Configurable response messages for network connect attempts for non-preferred networks
  • Ability to apply subscriber profiles
  • Support for multiple home PLMNs, each with its own steering rules, if desired
  • Ability to configure distribution rules per home PLMN, subscribers or subscriber groups
  • Ability to define maximum rejects and maximum rejection period visited per country, Visited PLMN and/or Home PLMN
  • Ability to apply SoR on all operations beyond just update location
  • Ability to create and work with on-board or external lists containing distribution schemes and preferred roaming networks
  • Fully GUI based configuration and management of service logic and rules – no need for scripting or coding
  • Unrestricted access to all signaling content, to use in rules for distribution and steering parameters
  • Multi-protocol support, single rules management for SoR across 2G, 3G, 4G/LTE and 5G
  • Optional (on-board) support for:

Combining network functions
The BroadForward SoR runs on a unique single-engine software design, allowing operators to combine multiple functions on the same platform. This provides many benefits, such as:

  • Reduction of integration points, and on-board capability for interworking and interoperability
  • Centralized IT integration, signaling management, configuration, provisioning, subscriber management, reporting and control
  • Centralized use of common network applications (e.g. firewall, number portability, steering of roaming)
  • Easy to operate, uniform operations across domains
  • Single capacity license with free traffic mix across supported protocols

Hardware-agnostic solution, supporting virtualized deployments
The BroadForward SoR solution runs on any off-the-shelf hardware or in a virtualized environment. It is a 100% software based solution, hardware-agnostic and support virtualization and cloud deployment as well as containerized application deployment. The solution does not rely on specialist hardware or proprietary operating systems. The ability to deploy BroadForward SoR on a common (shared) platform supports operators and vendors in migrating away from proprietary based appliance systems to a standards based, hardware agnostic, software only, infrastructure.