Local data routing

emnify was the first to move beyond traditional home-routed network models with a patented, globally distributed operational core. Its cloud-native platform combines a mobile core network with a dedicated communications platform purpose-built for IoT. Deployed across seven AWS regions with 2-3 availability zones per region, this distributed architecture ensures high availability and continuous data flow across the emnify network - even if an individual cloud data center becomes unavailable.

Regional data breakouts

In a traditional roaming scenario, data is routed to the core network, which resides in the country of the operator that has issued the SIM card. This home routing makes the deployment of a distributed IoT solution impossible.

With emnify’s globally distributed IoT SuperNetwork, you can define flexible data routing to the closest AWS region. Data can either be automatically routed to the region with the lowest latency from the network the SIM is connected to or, in the case of a single-region application deployment, routed to the region where the application server resides.

The emnify IoT SuperNetwork is deployed in seven AWS regions:

• eu-west-1 (Ireland)
• eu-central-1 (Frankfurt, Germany)
• eu-central-2 (Zurich, Switzerland)
• us-east-1 (Virginia, United States)
• ca-central-1 (Canada)
• ap-southeast-1 (Singapore)
• sa-east-1 (São Paulo, Brazil)

Each AWS region is deployed across 2-3 availability zones to ensure high availability. Even in the event of a single data center failure, device data is continuously routed within the emnify network. emnify also establishes direct peering with local operators in each region, ensuring low-latency connectivity and reducing reliance on intermediary transit routes.

Additional breakouts in AWS regions are launched based on market growth demands.

Breakout region selection

A service policy specifies which breakout region its devices use. You can either select a fixed region or let the network select one automatically for each data session. New service policies use automatic selection by default.

Service policies are configured in the emnify Portal or through the emnify REST API.

Automatic selection

With automatic selection, the network chooses a breakout region for each data session based on the operator the device is connected to. The operator is identified by its MCC and MNC, and it maps to the region with the lowest measured latency between that operator and the emnify platform.

emnify monitors the latency between its packet gateways and operator serving gateways continuously, so the mapping reflects measured performance rather than geographical distance alone. The closest region geographically isn’t always the fastest one.

Automatic selection suits devices spread across several geographical areas and fleets that roam frequently, because each session takes the fastest available route. To see which region a given device is using, see Check which region a device is using.

Fixed selection

With a fixed region, every session for that service policy breaks out in the region you select, wherever the device is.

Changes to the assignments

As emnify adds breakout regions and establishes more IPX interconnections, latencies improve and the operator assignments are revisited. Changing an assignment can change the public IP address your devices appear to come from, because the traffic breaks out from a different region.

Devices keep connecting either way. What can break is anything on your side that depends on the region the traffic arrives from, namely firewall rules you control that allow only some emnify public IP addresses, and Cloud Connect or OpenVPN integrations bound to one region.

To stay unaffected, allowlist all emnify public IP addresses rather than one region’s, and use a fixed breakout region wherever Cloud Connect or OpenVPN is involved. For the steps, see Set the breakout region. For the upcoming reassignment, see Breakout region update.

Complying with local regulations

Several countries require cellular networks to follow local regulations, or network operators impose restrictions on roaming.

Local IP assignment

emnify enables access to localized content using the emnify distributed breakouts. Devices utilizing the public internet use carrier-grade NAT with local IP addresses for that region. Consequently, content filters enforced in that region are also applied. Additionally, emnify utilizes a DNS filter for Brazil based on special legal requirements in the market.

Permanent roaming

Several operators are banning devices from roaming on their networks for extended periods. The emnify IoT SuperNetwork includes direct agreements with over 400 network operators in more than 100 countries, allowing permanent roaming for IoT and M2M use cases.

Unlike other forms of network access, like those provided through intermediaries or resellers, these direct roaming agreements differ primarily in the level of control and visibility they offer:

• Control and stability: emnify can manage its networking connectivity, ensuring stability and consistency in connectivity and features. Without direct access agreements, a provider’s networking connectivity and management could be out of emnify’s control.
• Visibility: Direct access agreements provide visibility into granular, network event-level data, helping to alert, troubleshoot, and resolve network issues quickly.
• Regulatory protection: Direct agreements help protect you against regulatory changes, network changes, and unexpected roaming costs.