14+ years building telecom infrastructure that just works
From hands-on softswitch engineering to AWS-native architecture and team leadership.
I'm Muhammad Asif, a Telecom Solutions Architect based in Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain. For more than fourteen years I've been designing, deploying, and operating telecom services for carriers and enterprise customers — VoIP, SS7/SCCP, SMSC, Cloud PBX, billing, and the cloud infrastructure that ties it all together.
I currently lead the VoIP and Telecom team at Etisalcom Bahrain, where I'm responsible for telecom products and services, interconnect management with local and global operators, network operations, and customer support. My team has shipped MSCs over SS7/SCCP and SMPP, deployed Cloud PBX for many customers, architected an eFax solution, launched local DID operations on mobile platforms, and built ETISL Share — an advanced mobile app for users.
On the cloud side, I designed and deployed a fault-tolerant, RADIUS-based authentication microservice on AWS for our VoIP users, then migrated it to DynamoDB to dramatically reduce latency. I also set up disaster recovery for VoIP users, so service stays up even when infrastructure doesn't.
How I got here
My career started at Easy Link International in 2005 as a Telecom Engineer, installing and troubleshooting Cisco AS5400 / AS5350 VoIP gateways, administering Linux and Windows servers, and deploying RADIUS-based AAA. From there I joined Advance VoIP Group as Team Lead for Development & Operations, where I designed BeyondPhone — a six-in-one calling solution combining callback and PC2Phone on top of OpenSER, OpenSIPs, and Asterisk.
I joined Etisalcom Bahrain in 2009 as Team Lead and led number portability deployment in Bahrain for both mobile and fixed operators, billing integration, and the rollout of NGN solutions and Class 5 Switch for prepaid subscribers. I was promoted to Manager in 2012 and have been there since — running the team, the products, and the engineering that keeps it all running.
What I write and talk about
On this site I share practical notes on VoIP and telecom engineering — debugging SIP, working with SS7 and SCCP, scaling Asterisk in production, building RADIUS-backed services on AWS, and the kind of operational lessons you only learn after years in the trenches. If you're stuck on a telecom problem, the Community page is the place to post it.