Enhancements to Cellular IoT Solutions through the Provision of Virtualised Packet Gateway Services
A virtualised edge Packet Gateway (P-GW) in mobile network operations is revolutionising the way data is managed, particularly in the context of Internet of Things (IoT) deployments that span multiple countries.
This innovative solution decouples packet gateway functions from specific hardware, enabling deployment on general-purpose servers or cloud infrastructure at the network edge. This setup allows local breakout of data traffic closer to IoT devices, reducing the distance data must travel, which in turn improves latency, performance, and user experience.
Key advantages of virtualised edge P-GWs include reduced latency through localised data processing and breakout at the edge, improved network performance by minimising data travel distance, hardware independence, enhanced scalability and flexibility for multi-country or multi-region IoT scenarios, potential cost savings and operational efficiencies by avoiding centralised bottlenecks, and support for local data privacy and regulatory compliance by keeping data processing closer to source locations.
In multi-country IoT deployments, the virtualised edge P-GW eliminates the need for all traffic to route through a central core, which can be inefficient and introduce delays. Instead, it enables each region to locally handle user data sessions and connectivity more efficiently. This is particularly beneficial for large-scale distributed IoT systems spanning multiple countries or regions with varying network infrastructure, regulations, and service requirements.
The localised handling of traffic improves the efficiency of interconnect links between networks and reduces transit costs, while enhancing service quality. Furthermore, virtualised edge P-GWs can be tailored to specific slices or applications with unique QoS policies, making them well-suited for high-bandwidth applications and network slicing techniques.
When managed by a third-party service provider, virtualised edge P-GWs can benefit from automation and orchestration capabilities. Offering the virtualised P-GW as a service means that operators or enterprises can consume it on-demand, with the P-GW managed by third parties or platform providers. Elastic scaling of virtualised edge P-GWs improves resource utilisation, lowers capital expenditure, and ensures operators only pay for what they use.
A panel discussion on the benefits and implications of virtualised edge P-GW propositions will take place on 11 September, 2025. This event promises to be an exciting opportunity for industry professionals to delve deeper into the potential of this transformative technology.
In conclusion, virtualised edge P-GWs offer a more agile, performant, and cost-effective mobile network architecture well suited to the demands of widespread, multi-national IoT deployments. As the world continues to become more interconnected, the importance of technologies like virtualised edge P-GWs cannot be overstated.
In the context of the panel discussion on 11 September, 2025, industry professionals will explore the benefits and implications of implementing virtualised edge P-GWs in finance, data-and-cloud-computing, and technology sectors, especially for large-scale, multi-country IoT deployments. The virtualised edge P-GW, due to its ability to improve network performance, reduce transit costs, and offer elastic scaling, is expected to play a crucial role in the future of these industries.
