(416) 273-8535

Ariel Pablo TOPASSO

atopasso@gmail.com

Professional Profile

  · 15 years of progressive experience and successful track of record driving innovation in large national wireless and

wireline carriers; leading national projects and complex network builds: HSPA/UMTS/LTE, CDMA and NGN

  · End-to-end core network solutions: design, engineering/implementation and planning for data and

voice/multimedia and value added services in Wireless (3G / HSPA, LTE / EPC - VoLTE) and Wireline; capacity

planning and forecasting, cost optimization and modeling, budget management; vendor selection, BSS / OSS

integration

  · In-depth hands-on expertise on telecommunication technologies, standards, signaling protocols, flows and

core/access equipment

  · Team building, team management, team leader and motivator

Languages English, French, Spanish (reading, writing, fluently speaking); Italian (basic)

Key Areas of Expertise & Skills

  · 3G/LTE Wireless Core: HSPA / UMTS /

CDMA, LTE / EPC; platforms: SGSN / GGSN /

PCRF (policy server), EPC (evolved packet

core) MME / P-GW; 3GPP VoLTE/IMS: CSCF

and MSC-S, HSS / HLR / SPR, Telephony

application servers, trunk and line media

gateways, media servers, session border

controllers, IP and VoIP peering, Dual-IMSI

wireless data roaming / GRX

  · 3G/LTE/IMS and VoIP protocols: IETF SIP,

H.248 / NCS, H.323, RTP, SIGTRAN;

DIAMETER (Gy – online charging, Gx - policy,

Rx – application servers, M3UA); GTP, AAA,

legacy PLMN / PSTN: ISUP, SS7, MAP, ISDN

  · Value Added Services / VAS: Messaging:

Presence and RCS; SMSC/MMSC, VMS,

mobile video optimization; location services

(MLC) and E911 Phase II; DPI: zero-rating,

captive portal, app-based charging; OCS

IT Skills

  · Platforms: Linux, Solaris, Windows

  · Office Applications: Word, Excel, PowerPoint,

Outlook, Access, OpenOffice

  · Programming: Python, C, shell scripting

  · Technical software: Visio, Cacti, Amazon EC2,

LAMP servers, DNS/BIND, Dokuwiki

88 Colgate Ave., Unit 521

Toronto (ON), M4M 0A6, Canada

  · IP Core: BGP, OSPF, MPLS / VPN, IPSEC/tunneling,

QoS for real time media, security

  · Access, transport, terminals: HSPA / UMTS,

EVDO / CDMA, xDSL, Ethernet, ATM, FR

  · Vendors: Nokia - NSN / Alcatel-Lucent / Cisco /

Ericsson / Huawei / HP / et al; network element

management frameworks

  · Team management and leadership: complex

multidisciplinary project primeship and strongly

results-oriented team lead

  · Cost modeling, budget management, capacity

planning and forecasting

  · Technical documents writing, analysis and

communication skills (RFP, RFQ, RFI)

  · Flexible, creative, strongly result-oriented and

able to work effectively under pressure; active

and involved team player

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Professional Experience

Director, Packet Switching, IP and VAS Engineering

2014/Jul - Present

WIND Mobile Canada (Core Network, Technical Department), Toronto, ON, Canada

Globalive Wireless Management Corporation

  · Responsible for the Packet Switched Core (3G and EPC), IP/MPLS Core and Value Added Services engineering

and planning teams – managing a team 12 network engineers. Reporting to VP Core Network.

  · Technology planning, platform lifecycle management, new platform implementations; roll-out of new services;

capacity planning; cost optimization; CAPEX and OPEX budget planning and management.

  · VoLTE/IMS and EPC core for LTE: PGW, MME and PCRF overlay; CSFB; VoLTE strategy, design, planning,

budgeting – including CSCF/TAS/A-SBCs and auxiliary platforms (E911/Location, LI); EPC and HSS/HLR RFx

  · Core network virtualization (NFV); subscriber data management.

  · SMSC Swap: selection, acquisition, deployment and integration of a new 2-site geo-redundant SMSC solution

with diameter online charging integration, seamless cutover from an older platform, including an integrated

Content-Filter for automatic anti-spam, fraud control and abuse prevention. Reducing SMS service OPEX by 30%

  · Scaling up data services: NG-firewall platform with Carrier Grade NAT, international gigabit-level GRX

connectivity.

Sr Manager, Packet Switching, Data and VAS Engineering

WIND Mobile Canada (Core Network, Technical Department), Toronto, ON, Canada

Globalive Wireless Management Corporation

  · Responsible for the Packet Switched Core (3G and EPC), IP/MPLS Core and Value Added Services engineering

and planning teams – managing a team 12 network engineers. Reporting to VP Core Network.

  · Technology planning, platform lifecycle management, new platform implementations; roll-out of new services;

capacity planning; cost optimization; CAPEX and OPEX budget planning and management.

  · MMSC swap with hitless live migration to next-gen messaging platform; virtualized lab environment

  · Lawful interception / LIG solutions for CS and PS domains; VoLTE evolution

  · Next-Gen VMS: SIP-based voicemail platform; SIP, SMS/SMPP and provisioning integration; subscriber

migration and graceful cutover from legacy platform; voicemail-to-email, missed call notifications, VVM

  · Canadian Wireless Code of Conduct: PCRF (policy) based solution design and implementation supporting data

roaming caps based on real time rating

  · Carrier-based billing with cloud-based payment gateway

  · Roaming steering (SS7-based; SIM-based); Least cost routing engine

  · IP/MPLS core upgrade with 10GE technology; Juniper firewall migration and Carrier NAT implementation

  · IP Core second vendor introduction (dual-vendor strategy)

  · Network security: architecture, processes, tools design and implementation

Sr Manager, PS Core and Core Data Nework Engineering

WIND Mobile Canada (Core Network, Technical Department), Toronto, ON, Canada

Globalive Wireless Management Corporation

  · Responsible for the Packet Switched Core (3G/HSPA) and IP/MPLS Core engineering teams – managing a team

of 6 network engineers. Reporting to VP Core Network.

  · Design, develop and deploy an All-IP mobile core network; lead technology and capacity planning on PS and Data

Cores; subscriber modeling and forecasting, vendor selection (RFP / RFQ), budget management (CAPEX and

OPEX); support and enable marketing initiatives.

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2009/Jul - Present

2012/Sep - Present

  · Optimize the packet switched core network with IuFlex, 3G Direct Tunneling, standards-based Gy (online

charging, diameter) for roaming-enabled prepaid data services; improve scalability, lower costs and enable

EPC/LTE with a large scale technology migration (full swap-out project) of both GGSN and SGSN platforms.

  · Innovate with a state-of-the-art 3GPP policy framework (Gx-based PCRF / SPR, PCEF / DPI), fair usage policy,

tiered services, application-based charging. Conception, system and use-case specification (RFP), design, OSS and

IT integration, implementation.

  · Build a solid foundation with a truly converged IP/MPLS core, using VPNv4 / Fast Reroute, Traffic Engineering,

fault-tolerant design. Multihomed (geo-redundant) Internet connectivity; designed and deployed an anycast-based

DNS farm; RADIUS-based access control.

  · Optimize the cost of voice-services by implementing a session border controller (SBC) solution for SIP trunking.

  · Create, implement and enforce Network Security Policies: defining roles, responsibilities, review/audit and NE

upgrade/patch cycles; architectural guidelines; deploy support tools incl. IDS/IPS, ng-syslog.

Senior Core Network Architect – Core Network Architecture

TELUS Corporation (Technology Strategy), Toronto, ON, Canada

2006/Jul - 2009/Jul

  · Core Network Architecture design and technology development: UMTS Mobile Core; Common IMS Core for

Wireless and Wireline.

  · RFP, RFI, and RFQ processes: UMTS/HSPA national core network RFP specification, vendor selection; Common

IMS core technical specification and cost modeling; RCS / rich communications services messaging initiative.

  · Technical Primeship of major corporate initiatives:

  · NSN UMTS mobile softswitch platform SIP-I-based interconnection to Nortel CS2K Class 4 network for all

mobile to landline traffic.

  · E911 Phase II (location/LBS) solution design, vendor selection and implementation for CDMA, UMTS and

iDEN national wireless networks as well as CRTC Working Group activities (standard development lead).

  · Analysis, lab evaluation and benchmarking of multiple IMS Infrastructure solutions (CSCF, HSS, App Servers,

OSS, mediation) including advanced Proof-of-Concept applications with major core vendors: NSN, AlcatelLucent,

Ericsson, Nortel; IMS Core integration with third-party Application Servers and OSS/BSS.

  · Combinational Packet Switched / Circuit Switched services; integration with legacy and packet-based Voicemail,

legacy SMS-C (messaging), AIN and WIN platforms.

Senior Technology Specialist – Voice Services & Technology

MTS Allstream Inc., Allstream Division (Technology Development), Toronto, ON, Canada

  · Carrier Grade Voice over IP network design, and implementation. VoIP subject matter expert. New service design,

specification and implementation; technology evolution.

  · Technology Prime for Nortel Voice over IP platforms, SIP-based services. Internet telephony (voice over

broadband) IP-Phones, IADs, softphones. Nortel MCS5200 and Nortel CS2K Softswitch (PacketCable and SIP)

for residential & SMB hosted services, Nortel Passport PVG 15000 and 8600 switching core; intercarrier trunking.

Application Servers (Sylantro, Personeta).

  · Engineering lead for IP Trunking service design, implementation and roll-out, integrating Session Border

Controllers, Nortel CS2K, Cisco CPEs, multivendor IP-PBX (Cisco, Mitel, Nortel, Asterisk). VoIP Technology lab,

Spirent Abacus and Smartbits lab instrumentation; IP CPE QoS for voice and performance design and testing.

Process documentation.

Network Analyst – Level 3 (Voice over IP network and services)

Convergia Networks Inc., Montréal, QC, Canada; International Telecommunications service provider

  · Voice over IP network planning, design and specification, interconnection, lab tests and production network

deployment. VoIP network management, configuration and troubleshooting, including Cisco gateways and

gatekeepers, IP routers, SIP servers, SS7 signaling gateways; Nextone call routing engine.

  · Design and implementation of an NGN network based on Huawei Technologies SoftX3000 softswitch and UMG

media gateways, with AIN (intelligent network)-based applications (calling cards, conferencing); SIP, MGCP and

H.248 (Megaco) IAD deployment in a multinational environment for Class 5 and 4 services.

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2004

2005/Jan - 2006/Jun

Technology Strategy Analyst (Data and voice networks and services)

Telecom Argentina STET France Télécom S.A., Buenos Aires, Argentina

2002 - 2004

  · Designed the Voice over IP Network Architecture, comprising Class 4 (trunking) and Class 5 services; deployment

plan, IP QoS for voice and multimedia traffic, integration and provisioning; SIP service platform.

  · NGN platform RFP (Class 4/5 softswitch, media gateways); RFP authoring, technical and economical analysis of

offers, vendor selection.

  · Analyzed new technologies and developed evolution and migration plans for data (IP, SDH), access (xDSL) and

IN networks. Introduction of IP Service Nodes over the IP / MPLS backbone, enabling new services for broadband

Internet access subscribers (transparent caching, firewalling).

Data Network Planning and Engineering (Data / IP networks and services)

Telecom Argentina STET France Télécom S.A., Buenos Aires, Argentina

1999 - 2002

  · Data network planning: topology, capacity, devices; conceived and authored fundamental architecture and capacity

plans.

  · Optimized the usage of international Internet/IP links capacity (traffic engineering) – submarine cable and satellite.

  · Reengineered legacy data networks (corporate IP, X.25 tunneling over IP), lowering operating costs.

  · Conceived and implemented the IP Interconnection Policy (BGP peering) with other network operators,

minimizing IP transit costs.

  · IP backbone. Configured, installed and upgraded high-end Cisco IP routers and Newbridge / Alcatel ATM

switches, including their international data, voice and signaling links. Cisco VoIP voice gateways for voice

trunking services.

Education

  · Major

  · Electronics Engineering, Bachelor of Science. University of Buenos Aires, Faculty of Engineering.

1999

Graduated with honors from the National Academy of Engineering (gold medal; NAE, 2000).

  · Electronics Technician specialized in Telecommunications. ORT Argentina Technical School.

  · Continuing

  · Business Economics. University of Toronto / School of Continuing Studies.

2009

  · Organizational Behaviour. University of Toronto / School of Continuing Studies. 2008

  · Telecommunications Technology / Systems Analysis. Ryerson University / R. Chang School.

  · Telecommunications Systems Market Analysis. University of Buenos Aires / Faculty of Engineering.2001

2006

Professional Development and Affiliations

  · Professional Development: technology training with Huawei (2010-12, 2004), NSN (2008), Nortel Networks

(2006, 2005), Cisco (2000-3) on Cellular Core, IP devices (firewalls, core routers) and OSS systems, Carrier VoIP,

data services; Newbridge/Alcatel ATM switching (2001).

  · Speaker in Industry Conferences: including: Policy Control and Real Time Charging (Amsterdam, 2012); LTE

USA (Atlanta, 2008)

  · Professional Affiliations: IEEE Communications Society, IARU (International Amateur Radio).

1991

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