Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2025. Read them in this 17th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.
By
Richard Brandon, VP of Strategy at RtBrick
The telco
industry is at a critical juncture. Traditional network architectures are struggling
to meet increasing demands such as escalating traffic and customer preferences for
higher reliability at lower costs. The ongoing boom in AI, 5G, IoT, and other
technologies is also adding immense weight. In fact, the US AI market is forecasted to reach $299.64 billion by 2026.
In
addition, we are seeing more U.S. operators at risk from their current Chinese
equipment. As a result, the 2019 Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Program,
informally known as the ?rip
and replace’ program, is gaining momentum with $3 billion in funding to be approved in 2025, to rip
out Chinese equipment and replace it with gear that’s deemed secure in 2025. Operators
must be ready to implement new hardware, especially smaller U.S. carriers.
These demands and
challenges are putting even more pressure on operators, and legacy infrastructures
won’t be able to handle them. Embracing innovations
like network disaggregation can provide the flexibility, power-efficiency, and
cost savings needed for success in the new year.
Embracing Change
to Meet Demands
Network
disaggregation refers to the
process of separating hardware and software. This allows operators to mix and
match components from different vendors rather than relying on a single vendor
for the entire system. It enables the flexibility to adopt cutting-edge
technologies that bring greater power and space efficiency at a lower cost,
without being locked into outdated, proprietary systems. This includes being
able to select hardware from trustworthy nations.
Despite traditional
networks coming close to reaching a breaking point with new demands, operators
are still hesitant to change systems they may have had for over 20 years. Instead,
they choose to continue investing in an approach that has ?always worked.’ While
it can be difficult transitioning from comfortability, rigid legacy systems
cannot keep up. Network disaggregation will be crucial for telcos to remain agile
and competitive amidst today’s growing societal and technological pressures.
How
Innovators are Paving the Way
Luckily,
vendors embracing network disaggregation are developing innovations to help
simplify operations, reduce costs and complexities, and improve power and space
efficiency.
This year, RtBrick began enabling operators to deliver multiple services
from a single, disaggregated network edge running on open hardware. This
includes Carrier Grade Network Address Translation (CGNAT), Layer-2 VPN,
Layer-3 VPN, residential broadband and peering. The novel approach is bringing
immense benefits to operators such as German
ISP WOBCOM, which is now able to deliver Ethernet business services at up to
100Gbps and residential IP services with symmetrical 1Gbps throughout from the
same open hardware.
Other key players in the
disaggregated landscape include DriveNets, who recently announced its partnership with Radisys to deliver end-to-end networking projects that enhance
network scale and accelerate new service rollouts for European service providers.
Additionally, Edgecore launched its 400G-optimized spine switch, the DCS511. This new switch is
designed to meet the demanding requirements of data center and cloud computing
environments, making it an innovative solution for data centers, service
providers, and cloud operators. And Ufispace added greater port density with
its 2.4Tbps S9600-102XC.
These vendors are among
those leading the way in embracing change – and it’s time for others to do the
same. One of the main benefits of disaggregation is choice. Vendors must act
quickly if they want to be part of that pool, otherwise they will fall too far
behind to catch up.
Looking Ahead
With 5G
networks becoming more globally widespread and insight into 6G networks
increasing, operators must anticipate escalated traffic, and consumer demands for
ever faster speeds.
Additionally, Trump
taking office in early 2025 is expected to accelerate the momentum of the
rip-and-replace program. The financial support for operators to replace Chinese
infrastructure will push them to adopt new technologies and modernize their
approaches more swiftly, while also establishing better security.
With ongoing challenges on
the horizon, the urgency for better change within networks has never been more
prevalent. By taking a disaggregated approach to networking, operators will be better
equipped to tackle these growing demands and more. The movement toward
disaggregated networks is still in its early stages, and the telecom sector has
a promising future, but telcos should get onboard before the train leaves the
station.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Richard Brandon has more than thirty years of experience
in networking. Currently VP of Strategy and Head of Marketing at router
software pioneer RtBrick, Richard was previously CMO at Edgeware, VP of
Worldwide Marketing at Juniper Networks, CMO at Intune Networks and MLL
Telecom, and Head of Service Provider Marketing in EMEA at Cisco Systems.
Richard also spent his earlier career in British Telecom. He has spoken at
multiple forums including Broadband World Forum, NAB, and IBC, as well as the
European Parliament. Richard holds a BSc in Physics from Imperial College,
London.
