DriveNets, the networking software company, today announced that DriveNets Network Cloud is providing the software-based core routing solution for AT&T - the largest backbone in the US. 

The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the pressing need for infrastructure to be able to scale flexibly and convey the exponential demands of 5G, broadband and entertainment content services, as well as AI and Edge applications. DriveNets Network Cloud solution perfectly fits the vision of AT&T and other leading service providers and cloud hyperscalers for the evolution of the network to be open, agile, cost effective and software based.

DriveNets Network Cloud is cloud-native software that turns the physical network into a shared resource supporting multiple network services in the most efficient way. It runs on standard white boxes built by ODM partners like UfiSpace who provided the white boxes to AT&T, based on the Jericho2 chipset from Broadcom. This approach creates a new economic model for the networking industry, lowering cost per bit and improving network profitability. 

"We're thrilled about this opportunity to work with AT&T on their next gen core network, and proud of our engineers for meeting AT&T's rigorous certification process that field-prove the quality of our solution," said Ido Susan, CEO of DriveNets. "This announcement demonstrates to those who questioned the disaggregated network model that our Network Cloud is more scalable and cost-efficient than traditional hardware-centric routers. DriveNets is transforming the network in the same way that VMware transformed the compute and storage industry."

"I'm proud to announce today that we have now deployed a next gen IP/MPLS core routing platform into our production network based on the open hardware designs we submitted to OCP last fall," said Andre Fuetsch, AT&T's CTO of Network Services, in his keynote speech at the Open Networking and Edge Summit (ONES). "We chose DriveNets, a disruptive supplier, to provide the Network Operating System (NOS) software for this core use case."

DriveNets Network Cloud offers extreme capacity and scale for networking service providers and cloud hyperscalers, supporting small to largest core, aggregation and peering network services. DriveNets Network Cloud runs over scalable physical clusters ranging from 4 Tbps (single box) to 768 Tbps (large cluster of 192 boxes), acting as a single router entity. This model is designed to offer both network scaling flexibility, similar to cloud architectures, as well as the ability to add new service offerings and scale them efficiently across the entire network.  

"We are pleased to see the broad adoption of Jericho2 products across the networking industry combined with the innovative DriveNets Network Cloud software," said Ram Velaga, senior vice president and general manager, Core Switching Group, Broadcom. "AT&T's submission of the Distributed Disaggregation Chassis white box architecture based on Jericho2 is making a big impact on driving the networking industry forward."

"UfiSpace has been among the first who committed to opening the networking model, starting with our disaggregated cell site gateway routers which we have already demonstrated with AT&T at the Open Networking Summit (ONS) last April." said Vincent Ho, CEO UfiSpace. "We are proud that AT&T's core routing platform will utilize our white box solution where we can take part in the largest live Dis-Aggregated network in the world."

Performing as the best in class router when it comes to stability, reliability and availability, DriveNets Network Cloud is the largest router in the market today. DriveNets is engaged with 18 service providers and hyperscalers and is already on the path to becoming one of the leading networking vendors in the market. Last week, DriveNets announced lab testing of a 192Tbps distributed router by a European operator.

DriveNets Network Cloud created a new SaaS-based network economic model that detaches network growth from network cost, lowering cost per bit and improving network profitability.  This disruptive business model assists service providers and cloud hyperscalers in reducing both network CapEx and OpEx.