What is IPX?

IPX has become a very popular and common word since the arrival of the 4G/LTE technology in the telecommunication field, widely used amongst carriers and service providers, thoroughly described in the GSMA’s IR34. It stands for IP Packet Exchange, but this is too short a definition to understand what is lying behind, who is involved, and for which promise.

The purpose of this document is to [xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
provide a clear definition of what is IPX and what is not IPX […]

For a start, let’s try to review how major players define IPX. If you go through IPX players’ websites, datasheets and presentations, you will probably summarize IPX as a secure MPLS network, totally separated from the public internet that carries different IP-based services (signaling – SS7 & Diameter, data, Voip & VoLTE, etc.), through different class of services, in order to ensure a high quality of service with end to end SLA. IPX is built to support future services as well, and is meant to connect a wide variety of providers. You can find additional notions associated to IPX like a network built to carry roaming and interworking traffic, a simple architecture with a single access, etc.

Not crystal clear, but all the key words are here, and all players agree on using them when it comes to IPX, as shown in below table:

IPX features / multi operator(*) / Private network / roaming and interworking / IP based multiservices offer (signalling, voice, data, etc.) / High QoS / E2E SLA / secure / future ready / COS / MPLS
Carrier #1 / ok / ok / ok / ok / ok / ok / ok / ok
Carrier #2 / ok / ok / ok / ok / ok / ok / ok
Carrier #3 / ok / ok / ok / ok / ok / ok / ok / ok / ok / ok
Carrier #4 / ok / ok / ok
Carrier #5 / ok / ok / ok / ok / ok / ok
Carrier #6 / ok / ok / ok / ok / ok / ok / ok
Carrier #7 / ok / ok / ok / ok / ok / ok / ok
Carrier #8 / ok / ok / ok / ok / ok / ok / ok
Carrier #9 / ok / ok / ok / ok / ok / ok / ok
Carrier #10 / ok / ok / ok / ok / ok / ok
Carrier #11 / ok / ok / ok / ok / ok / ok / ok

(*) MNO MVNO MVNE FNO ISP ASP

I3 Forum & Hot Telecom survey

I3 Forum and Hot Telecom led a survey early 2016 among the 50 or so members of I3 Forum in order to know where they stand on their IPX. The whole idea was to investigate whether they had their own definition of IPX and how they rate official ones from GSMA and I3 Forum for example, and to understand how far they have gone on their business transition to IP/IPX, i.e. if they have fully or partially invested in IPX, if they have fully or partially migrated their customers to IPX, etc.

The definitions gathered in the survey concur with the above statements: same key words are popular and widely used to define IPX. It is all about SLA, Class of Service, total segregation from Internet on a private network, IP multiservice products, multi operators, E2E QoS, etc.

Please refer to appendix #1 for a few striking definitions from the survey

Illustration of IPX by Telia Sonera: whatisipx.com

IPX : Total segregation from the internet

IPX: The world in 2 hops or less… all network providers, not only mobile ones, worldwide destinations

Class of service

E2E QoS and SLA

False ideas about IPX

-  IPX is not only about Voice / VOIP / VoLTE

-  IPX is not a networking protocol from Novell that interconnects networks that use Novell's NetWare clients and servers.

Appendix #1: I3 Forum & Hot Telecom Survey: a few IPX definitions by I3 Forum members

-  A Managed Global IP Network with SLAs, Service Performance Measurements and Seamless Connectivity

-  Fully private and managed network, no Internet

-  A telecoms interconnection model for the exchange of IP based (voice or data) between mobile and fixed operators, via an IP based Network-to-Network Interface (NNI)

-  IPX is a telecommunications interconnection model for the exchange of IP based traffic between customers of separate mobile and fixed operators as well as other types of service provider (such as ISP), via IP based Network-to-Network Interface

-  Private IP for End to end mobile traffic, using SIP-I

-  MPLS based Private IP interconnection offering multi-service support with CoS and SLA support

-  A Carrier grade IP eXchange platform with QoS among Service Provider or IPX/VoIPX/VoLTE/IMS Provider regarding the GSMA/IREG standardization documents. A single IPX access is capable for multiple services

-  (IPX) Service provides a scalable and cost-effective standards-based platform that enables service providers to take full advantage of the LTE opportunity. It allows them to accelerate new business growth and build a mobile ecosystem to deliver services with end-to-end Quality of Service (QoS) and real-time monitoring, delivering a great end user experience

-  IP Exchange is an interoperability service that enables fixed, mobile, legacy and next-generation networks to interconnect in a way that minimises the cost of protocol conversion