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FAQs

1. What is PathFinder

PathFinder is a GSMA carrier ENUM initiative to facilitate translation of phone numbers into IP-based addresses and thereby help operators migrate to IP-based communications. The GSMA’s objective with PathFinder is to enable seamless interoperability for the global operator community, with ubiquitous, end-to-end IP-service solutions across the world’s networks.

2. What is Carrier ENUM?

PathFinder is a carrier ENUM service. Carrier ENUM provides an open standard and universal way of mapping subscriber phone numbers to IP addresses of the network elements providing services to that subscriber. This is a key enabler of global interworking of IP and IMS-based mobile and fixed services, including voice, messaging, presence, video, content, even m-commerce transactions.

3. What are the benefits?

PathFinder helps enable operators to make substantial cost savings by migrating away from legacy technology such as circuit switching for voice and C7 for messaging (SMS), towards IP. For IP / IMS-based services such as next-generation messaging / IM, presence, video content and m-commerce, it enables these services to interoperate across the industry and grow into mainstream revenue generating services.

4. How does it work?

The device, terminal, or service application understands phone numbers as the identity of the end subscriber, but needs to map them to an IP address of the subscriber’s serving network element to deliver the communication service.

Using a simple, ENUM-based mapping function, PathFinder translates a telephone number into a logical name that represents the endpoint of the target service or network operator gateway. PathFinder solves the key first step of mapping a phone number into a URI for a specific service, after which the existing GSMA Root DNS service can be used to translate that URI into an IP address.

Carrier ENUM maps phone numbers into IP-friendly addresses called URIs. For example, +44 12345612345 becomes sip: +4412345612345@icscf.carrier-A.3gppnetwork.org.

5. How is PathFinder different from Public ENUM?

PathFinder is a Carrier or Private ENUM service. In Public ENUM, the end users who are assigned the phone numbers must opt in to have their ENUM data registered in the public e164.arpa tree for others to reach and communicate with them.

GSMA Carrier ENUM is not Public ENUM. It is a special type of Private ENUM where the carriers / operators who provide the phone numbers provision the data in the ENUM directory to facilitate inter-carrier routing.

6. How can operators start using the service?

Now that the Pilot Programme has been completed, operators, carriers and service providers can start using the service by signing the three way agreement with GSMA and NeuStar

7. When will the service be available?

The PathFinder service is now commercially available.

8. What were the pilot objectives?

Allow operators to test and use PathFinder in a pre-commercial environment • Pave the way to the commercial launch of the service.

9. How did GSMA choose NeuStar?

In 2005, the GSMA recognised the potential importance and impact of ENUM to the communications industry and began exploring opportunities to assist the GSMA membership in the development and implementation of a Carrier ENUM service.

In 2006, a team reporting to the Inter-working Roaming Expert Group (IREG) developed a global architecture for ENUM data management and access.

In 2007, this group made recommendations around a commercial framework for ENUM data access.
The analysis identified the need for a global Carrier ENUM directory and a global administrator. The Executive Management Committee (EMC) endorsed this initiative and asked the GSMA to tender, award and implement a pilot project.

In July 2007, a detailed "Invitation to tender" was sent to several vendors. The GSMA went through a rigorous and comprehensive selection process with a number of rounds, with Member input in evaluating the technical proposals.

In October 2007 GSMA selected NeuStar as the supplier of the PathFinder service. The award of the contract was announced during Mobile World Congress at Barcelona in February 2008.