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Verizon Joins ONAP Network Automation Project to Boost SDN/NFV
Verizon last week joined the Open Network Automation Platform (ONAP) project, under the direction of The Linux Foundation, in part to boost industry efforts around software-defined networking (SDN) and network functions virtualization (NFV).
ONAP is concerned with the orchestration and automation of both physical and virtual network functions in real-time, driven by preset policies. Focusing on open standards, the project seeks to unify member resources for its mission of furthering a globally shared architecture and implementation for network automation.
For its part, Verizon said it expects to do the following:
- Simplify and accelerate onboarding of network functions while expanding interoperability with other SDN ecosystems
- Gain greater agility in network management, service creation and provisioning to best meet customer needs
- Drive reference standards to vendors and partners for consistent deployment of their network services in the Verizon network
"Future experiences powered by intelligent and automated networks is one of the biggest opportunity areas for carrier networks," said Verizon exec Ed Chan. "Verizon is working together with partners to accelerate virtualization and automation across the industry through ONAP."
The ONAP project also got a boost from another major industry player, AT&T, whose ECOMP project combined with the Open Orchestrator Project (OPEN-O) to create ONAP.
AT&T announced it had completed field trials for offering multi-gigabit Internet speeds via passive optic network technology, part of the company's plan to virtualize access functions within the last mile network.
"Our network is constantly evolving," said AT&T exec Eddy Barker. "We'll continue to execute our software-based network strategy to technologies like 5G, virtualized RAN, and G.FAST over time. Ultimately, instead of deploying islands of technology that have SDN control, we want to orchestrate the entire end-to-end network through ONAP."
About the Author
David Ramel is an editor and writer at Converge 360.