The evolution cannot be monetised – yet
NEC Corporation and partners A10 Networks, Adtran, Fortinet and Juniper Networks have launched the Value Added xHaul Solution Suite to help mobile operators’ merchandise their transport networks in the 5G era. The system will make them more bankable propositions while supplementing their traditional IP and optical transport system with datacentres, security and automation.
“We are helping to resolve operators’ pressing challenges in an end-to-end optimised approach,” said Hideyuki Ogata, General Manager, Service Provider Solutions Department, NEC Corporation. Our new xHaul system gives them simplicity, quality and profitability.”
This cultivation of the soil of the ecosystem is needed because during the transition to 5G xHaul, the backbone of the entire network, needs to adapt as the industry changes, said an NEC release. Open RAN might make for flexible networking, edge computing and network slicing but those resources can’t be exploited without operational simplicity and vigilant security. These reassuring properties can be created through multi-domain automation, which is complicated, but NEC and co promise to make it look simple. And they have to.
The xHaul network evolution will not be televised, but there will be a great deal of online meetings, since NEC said it takes a unique holistic best-of-breed approach to move beyond the siloed proposition prevalent in the industry today. This collaborative approach improves efficiency and Return on Investment (ROI), enabling the optimization of the entire transport network.
Since it is a global system integrator with IT and network engineering expertise, NEC is confident it can deliver a single xHaul suite that tailors its systems for operators to bring out their value.
The new Value Added xHaul Solution Suite is engineered by NEC’s 5G Transport Centers of Excellence (CoEs). NEC said its central hubs meet regional and local operators’ needs while ensuring the high performance of networks.
“This is an initiative based on strong relationships, close collaboration and a shared commitment to open and flexible systems,” said Stephan Neidlinger, VP of Global Business Development at Adtran.