2022.11.04 – Opening Up the Network

 Opening Up the Network

2022.11.04 – ISE Magazine

Revolutionary Transformation Doesn’t Occur Overnight

This year, we have seen a continued shift to agile network service delivery from Proof of Concept to real-world deployments and a multi-service broadband network. Therefore communication service providers (CSPs) are under pressure to upgrade and transform their networks, pushing to support services beyond simply delivering network connectivity. With an increasing number of connected devices, CSPs are tasked with supporting these high-bandwidth applications and services with a network that offers both Quality of Experience, Quality of Service, and low latency. All while also maintaining the security of the network and systems attached to it.

They need to focus on this network transformation and bring about cost reduction, through the likes of automation and better usage of resources. Open source will be a key component in this transformation, but it is not the only component. The growing adoption of cloud technologies including Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) are helping to lessen the demand placed on CSPs’ network architectures, as well as creating new opportunities for more advanced automation in the operational domain. Similarly, virtualization provides an additional opportunity for multiple common resources, such as compute power and storage, to be shared and reused between functions within the network. While virtualization of services and disaggregation are two key trends, we cannot ignore the legacy investment already made in CSPs’ networks, such as traditional access nodes serving large regions of subscribers. No one can afford to revolutionize their network overnight.

“By embracing both open standards and open-source, CSPs can comprehensively transform their networks, reduce their overall costs, and protect their existing investments.”

Only by harnessing the combination of both open-source software and open standards, will global players across the broadband industry be able to realize their full potential and undertake their revolutionary network transformations in a sustained and cost-effective way. Consequently, CSPs need to make sure that any network transformation initiative in one area will also interoperate with other existing platforms and that they have a clear path to interoperability with future deployments of new virtualized and disaggregated systems.

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