Enhancing various cellular IoT solutions through the provision of Virtualised Packet Gateways as a service
A Virtualised Packet Gateway (P-GW) in mobile networks plays a critical role as the interface between the mobile network and external IP networks, managing subscriber sessions, IP address allocation, and Quality of Service (QoS). It is essential for enabling efficient, scalable, and flexible data routing, especially for multi-country IoT deployments.
The significance of a virtualised P-GW lies in its ability to address the demands of low latency, high throughput, scalability, and cost reduction.
Low Latency
By virtualising the P-GW and deploying it at the edge closer to end users, the round-trip delay for data packets is significantly reduced. This is crucial for latency-sensitive IoT applications such as augmented reality, autonomous vehicles, and industrial automation.
High Throughput and Efficiency
A centralised P-GW can become a bottleneck under high data volumes, leading to congestion. Virtualised, distributed edge P-GWs allow local breakout and local traffic routing, alleviating congestion and improving throughput. This distributed architecture enhances network efficiency and service quality.
Scalability for Multi-Country Deployments
Traditional multi-country IoT solutions relied on roaming through distant operators, which is inefficient. Virtualised P-GWs enable elastic scalability by dynamically adjusting resources and distributing traffic load across edge locations in multiple regions, naturally supporting multi-country IoT connectivity with minimal latency and regulatory compliance challenges.
Cost Reduction
Local breakout and traffic handling at the edge reduce the need for expensive backhauling of traffic to a central point, decreasing transit costs. Furthermore, virtualisation allows operators to optimise resource use, reduce hardware dependency, and achieve operational savings.
In summary, a virtualised packet gateway transforms legacy centralised P-GW functions into flexible, scalable, and distributed cloud-native services, critical for enabling efficient, low-latency, and cost-effective multi-country IoT network deployments in modern mobile networks.
When managed by a third-party service provider, virtualised edge P-GWs can benefit from automation and orchestration capabilities such as automatic capacity scaling, centralised monitoring, and analytics.
On 11 September, 2025, a panel discussion on virtualised edge P-GW propositions will be held. For more information, visit the homepage of IoT Now or follow @IoTNow_ on Twitter.
[1] IoT Now (2025). Virtualised Packet Gateways: The Key to Efficient, Scalable, and Cost-Effective Multi-Country IoT Network Deployments. Retrieved from https://www.iot-now.eu/news/2025/virtualised-packet-gateways-the-key-to-efficient-scalable-and-cost-effective-multi-country-iot-network-deployments/
A virtualised P-GW, with its focus on data-and-cloud-computing technology, can efficiently manage vast amounts of data, thus playing a crucial role in the finance industry by enhancing the efficiency and scalability of their data processing.
In the industry sector, the use of virtualised P-GWs can facilitate industrial automation, as the reduced latency allows for real-time data processing, ensuring smooth and timely operations.
