NFV, SDN being used as part of disaggregation process
AT&T’s push to virtualize 75% of its network by 2020 continues to gain steam, with the telecom giant this week describing the use of software-defined networking and network functions virtualization in delivering its Gigapower broadband service.
In a blog post, John Donovan, senior EVP for technology and operations at AT&T, explained that the Gigapower service requires “a lot of complex and expensive equipment in our central offices to deliver it to each neighborhood.” Donovan then rattled off a handful of acronyms, such as GPON OLTs (gigabit passive optical network open line terminals).
In tapping virtualization, Donovan explained that AT&T has turned these “complex appliances” into software that can then run over commodity servers and hardware, which is the mantra for telecom virtualization, using NFV. AT&T is then said to inject disaggregation into the equation that allows the company to “break out the different subsystems in each device,” which are then optimized for the required subsystems, like GPON OLT, broadband network gateway and the Ethernet aggregation switch.
“We upgrade some and discard others,” Donovan said of the process.
AT&T said that as part of the disaggregation process the company is also releasing into the open source community the specifications for the commodity hardware that runs the components. As Donovan explains, “we’re virtualizing the individual line cards in each OLT, and turning them into a single PON [media access control] card,” which is said to reduce power consumption, provide for faster scale and reduce costs.
“And by making the technical specs available in open source at the Open Compute Project, we’re inviting any white box hardware maker to build and sell them to us and also allowing others to build on the concept and design,” Donovan said.
AT&T is looking for prototype devices by the end of the year, with trials and deployments next year.
AT&T’s focus on open source was highlighted earlier this year when its telecom software development was released into an Apache Incubator designed to allow network and IT system managers to install policies that automate access to certain systems and information. RCR Wireless News spoke with Chris Rice, VP at AT&T Labs about the move as well as the importance and limitations of automation in managing telecom networks as well as how AT&T views the importance of its latest software push garnering Apache Project status.
Donovan added that AT&T remained on track to have 5% of its network virtualized by year end, with AT&T recently stating it had SDN technology running in more than 100 markets. AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said at a recent investor conference the move to SDN would allow AT&T to increase network utilization rates from 40% to 90%.
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