CCA panel suggests rural operators begin investigating moves to SDN and NFV
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Software-based network transformations are growing throughout the telecom space, with a number of larger operators already moving forward with plans to install platforms based on software-defined networking and network functions virtualization.
At this week’s Competitive Carriers Association Annual Convention, the case was made that smaller wireless operators should take notice of these software advances and begin planning their own virtualization paths. As for tackling the move towards SDN and NFV, those on the panel had several recommendations.
Glenn Laxdal, CTO and head of strategy at Ericsson, suggested smaller carriers start with simple education in terms of their virtualization plans, noting it would be wise for these operators to look at what others are already doing and try to learn from those moves. That sentiment was shared by others on the panel, with Miguel Dajer, VP of wireless access lab at Huawei USA, adding that once there is a comfort level in terms of education, carriers need to “get their feet wet and hands dirty” by actually deploying virtualization somewhere on their network to see how it works.
Of course, those in the audience appeared a bit more cautious with one attendee noting they had just deployed a 4G network and was feeling pressure to now begin a virtualization program. Those on the panel tried to alleviate some of that concern by noting there should not be a feeling of timing pressure in the near term, but that carriers should at least begin to investigate virtualization options so they can be prepared at some point down the road.
“You need to at least start planning,” Dajer explained. “It will be an upgrade over time and as you look towards new services going forward you should look at virtualization as an option.”
While the more bullish in the vendor community have predicted the possibility for virtualization to permeate throughout most of an operators network, panel members highlighted a handful of areas where rural carriers could at least begin to look at deployment opportunities.
Jim Tindall, VP for IP and optical at Alcatel-Lucent’s Americas Region, noted virtualization may be somewhat limited outside the data plane, though the packet core looked to be a prime candidate for the move towards virtualization.
Steve Northridge, director of SDP product marketing at Oracle, suggested signaling platforms are good starting points for virtualization, while Laxdal said virtualizing the IP multimedia subsystem core could be a good starting point for carriers looking to roll out voice-over-LTE services.
The analogy of the panel – and perhaps the entire CCA show and for the virtualization world – was provided by Northridge, who noted the move towards virtualization allows carriers to treat services “like cattle and not pets. If it doesn’t work, you kill it.”
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