New capability in its AXOS Subcriber Management module eliminates the need for routers elsewhere in the network.

September 21, 2017

2 Min Read
Calix Moves Lawful Intercept Into Access Network

Calix today added lawful intercept to its software-defined access system, moving yet another capability out of the network core or aggregation point and into the access network.

All telecom network operators have to maintain the ability to obey legal search warrants and give appropriate law enforcement facilities access to specified network traffic, without making that access apparent to the affected parties. Moving that capability, also known as compliance with Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) into the access network enables greater efficiencies and lower cost for operators, says Shane Eleniak, vice president for Calix Inc. (NYSE: CALX) systems products.

CALEA compliance is embedded in the Subscriber Management module of the Calix AXOS system, which also replaces broadband network gateways and routing. (See Calix Combines Edge, Access on AXOS.)

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Adding lawful intercept is a key move because, in the current environment, requests from law enforcement are increasing substantially and finding a way to handle that process more efficiently is therefore more important, Eleniak points out. In its announcement, Calix says such orders have increased 72% over the last decade. Costs for non-compliance can be as high as $10,000 a day.

CALEA compliance requires operators to mirror traffic back into pre-established mediation frameworks, using messaging sets defined by ATIS. All that has to be done and verified, remaining transparent to the parties on either end, and without disrupting traffic flow.

As with other functions, moving lawful intercept into the access network eliminates the need for additional routers within the CO or at aggregation points in the network, Eleniak says. As operators move to access architectures that support higher bandwidth, such as NGPON2, they can move to software-defined access as well and achieve these efficiencies.

"This helps them by requiring fewer boxes, fewer workflows, giving them a framework to go faster," he comments. "It simplifies and consolidates policy and policy management and lawful intercept is just another example of how that happens."

— Carol Wilson, Editor-at-Large, Light Reading

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