Kazakhtelecom JSC improves subscriber services

Kazakhtelecom JSC, the largest telecommunications operator in Kazakhstan, is rapidly growing the number of broadband subscribers across the country. To meet the needs of subscribers for reliable broadband access, Kazakhtelecom is working with A10 Networks in multiple ways to provide a secure and consistent subscriber experience for businesses and consumers.

Shifting to a Telco Cloud Environment

Telecommunications infrastructures are making the transition to be more virtualised and disaggregated, and increasingly use open-source technologies in the development of telco cloud nodes. A10 Networks has been a key facilitator of Kazakhtelecom’s shift to establishing cloud nodes on its network since it began the transition in 2020.

At that time, Kazakhtelecom launched two cloud nodes using an Open Stack architecture in the largest cities of Kazakhstan. It launched the first A10 virtualised carrier-grade network address translation (CGNAT) solution on a cloud node that serves 384,000 broadband subscribers along with a second that serves 80,000 subscribers. These nodes provide a universal infrastructure for deploying virtual network functions (VNFs) that have numerous advantages, including deployment time, scaling, high fault tolerance, and manufacturer selection. This solution allows the telco to automate the operation of all VNFs, which has a positive effect on the quality of services for its customers.

Delivering DDoS Protection Services for Subscribers’ Critical Infrastructure

Kazakhtelecom is actively working to enter the information security market and has established a Security Operation Centre. A core element of the centre is its DDoS attack protection system, which Kazakhtelecom JSC launched with A10 Networks. The A10 Thunder Threat Protection System (TPS) provides the backbone to analyse all incoming internet traffic, detect anomalies and DDoS attacks and block or clear illegitimate traffic. The system has allowed Kazakhtelecom to protect up to 500 zones of IP address spaces and analyses about 2 Tbps of traffic.

Expanding Subscribers Requires Addressing IPv4 Exhaustion

IPv4 addresses are almost fully allocated, causing difficulties for telecom operators as they grow subscribers. While IPv6 provides a solution, most of the internet today still uses IPv4, while transitioning to IPv6 brings its own set of challenges and costs. Network address translation (NAT) technologies are used as a near-term solution to connect hundreds of hosts behind one public address without the need to purchase more expensive IPv4 addresses.

Kazakhtelecom successfully deployed A10 Thunder® Carrier-Grade Network (CGN) in the cities of Almaty and Astana, where a large number of its internet users are concentrated. The operator immediately saw the economic benefits compared to the acquisition of new IPv4 addresses. Kazakhtelecom is looking to expand its use of Thunder CGN to other network locations.

“A10 Networks has been a valued partner and strong collaborator as we have set to transform our network, grow subscribers, and establish an information security services centre. We are actively working on creating new deployments for our telco cloud environment. And we are confident that with our anti-DDoS system, the resources of Kazakhtelecom and its customers will be reliably protected from network attacks,” said Nurlan Meirmanov, chief innovation officer, Kazakhtelecom JSC.

“Kazakhtelecom has faced a convergence of business challenges that many telco operators have faced in recent years: how to grow subscribers with limited addressing, how to secure its network against the rapidly expanding cyber threat landscape and how to transition to new-generation cloud technologies within its network, all while maintaining a secure and consistent subscriber experience. A10 Networks’ solutions have helped support Kazakhtelecom’s business and technology objectives throughout this transition as we continue to work with them on their evolution to a cloud-based infrastructure,” said Dhrupad Trivedi, president and CEO, A10 Networks.