Home-routed vs Local breakout
When a subscriber roams, their data can be tunneled back to the home network (home-routed) or broken out locally in the visited network (local breakout, LBO). Each has security and regulatory consequences.
| Attribute | Home-routed | Local breakout |
|---|---|---|
| User-plane path | Via HPLMN | Direct from VPLMN |
| Lawful intercept | Home network | Visited network |
| Latency | Higher | Lower |
| Signaling exposure | Same for both — control plane still transits IPX | Same for both |
| IE visibility to IPX | Larger | Smaller for user plane |
Verdict
Local breakout is often marketed as "more secure" because less user-plane crosses the IPX. Signaling exposure — where most attacks live — is identical. SEPP + PRINS is the real reduction in IPX trust, not path selection.