As the telecom market continues to look to 5G as the next platform evolution in communications technologies, mobile operators are looking to sunset their legacy 2G and 3G networks.
There are a few key reasons for retiring legacy 2G and 3G networks. Retiring the radio access network (RAN) and network equipment needed to support 2G and 3G lowers the enormous OpEx costs associated with maintaining and managing these legacy communications technologies. In addition, this allows operators to reallocate the valuable spectrum that had been supporting the legacy network to instead support 5G.
However, this strategy brings with it some known challenges. The most common consequence when an operator shuts down their legacy networks is they are unable to support circuit-switched fallback, which allows roamers coming from home operators that do not support VoLTE or VoLTE roaming to visit their network. This issue causes a secondary problem, as well, in that an operator that shuts down their 3G networks instantly limits their ability to support their own subscribers when they decide to roam into a visited network that doesn’t support VoLTE roaming. As a result, many operators feel the necessity to maintain legacy equipment to support their outbound roaming subscribers.
We have a solution – a first-of-its-kind. Syniverse’s Evolved Mobility for Outbound allows an operator to completely shut down their old 2G and 3G networks to free up millions of dollars associated with maintaining this legacy infrastructure while simultaneously continuing to support their own subscribers as they roam into non-VoLTE enabled networks. Using this tool allows the operator to drive significant cost savings without degrading the customer experience for their own users roaming abroad. In the linked tech talk video, I take a couple of minutes to further explain Evolved Mobility for Outbound and describe some of the issues it resolves for operators looking to retire their legacy networks and accelerate their transition to 5G.

In case you missed it! Check our press release Syniverse Introduces Evolved Mobility for Outbound Roaming to Reduce OpEx for Mobile Operators Retiring 3G Networks
As Director of IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) Services, Brian oversees the IMS services and enabling technologies that reside on Syniverse’s IPX network – including VoLTE (Voice over LTE), VoWiFi (Voice over Wi-Fi), RCS (Rich Communications Services), video and routing. His career includes a long history in technology development and innovation, with over 10 years at Syniverse. Prior to taking on his latest role, in 2016, Brian served as Senior Technology Manager of Next-Generation Solutions and managed solutions for Syniverse’s IP Services Hub. Before those roles, he worked in Syniverse’s research and development groups, planning, building, and evangelizing new products and services. Since joining Syniverse in 2005, Brian has worked extensively with IMS and next-generation messaging, leading the technical aspects of the Fixed Mobile Convergence Alliance (FMCA) global presence and IMS trials. He also has been involved in RCS since 2009 and VoLTE since 2011, and has attended a number of industry conferences and work groups on these technologies. Brian holds an M.S. in computer science and a B.S. in biology from the University of Tennessee.