FEATURE: NFV UPDATE: PART II
Building the plane while it is flying
ur first feature (Issue 12) looked at some recent NFV Proofs of Concept that are designed to scope out how virtualisation may be applied to certain network functions. Part II of our series on NFV goes further and asks: what are the current barriers to telco implementation and commercialisation? By Guy Daniels Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) is going to change the mobile network as we know it. We’ve heard the sales pitches, we understand the technology,
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we may even have participated in proofs of concept work. But before we all get too carried away about how an NFV-led re-architecting of the network will transform an operator’s fortunes, just how realistic is it to expect an easy transition, and what obstacles need to be overcome as we make the move from legacy networks? The prime benefit is that NFV will enable a reduced time to market for new services and save operating expenses by deploying disaggregated network functions. The subsequent Virtualised Network Functions (VNFs) can be run over low-cost servers, at any location within the network.