A new SDN (software-defined networking) controller that was built by Nokia was recently integrated into BIC’s network, which allowed the company, an international communications platform firm, to improve its network. The new intelligence module would be able to automate the appropriate routing of traffic on the network. It would not only improve overall performance for customers but also lay the framework for 5G network slicing.
Throughout the whole worldwide network, capacity and flow routing will be managed with the help of the new SDN controller. The controller is responsible for monitoring all of the network’s routing pathways and making choices that will constantly adjust and improve the flow of traffic. The software-defined network (SDN) has been modified to provide a custom model for use scenarios that are unique to the requirements of BICS.
This action would, in the near term, considerably enhance BICS’s network. But, it will also pave the path for future 5G use cases such as bandwidth calendaring and network slicing. These use cases will result in a more intelligent utilization of bandwidth across 5G networks, which will unleash new choices for organizations to fulfill their expanding connection needs. This improved network distribution will work both on an application level, such as a network slice for public safety applications, or it can be scheduled at predefined times, such as ‘calendaring’ bandwidth every month for a cloud data backup. Alternatively, this improved network distribution will work both on an application level and on an application level simultaneously.
“BICS is investing heavily in its software solutions ecosystem, and this new module is just the latest development in this effort,” said Jorn Vercamert, Vice President Products and Solutions at BICS. “Greater network intelligence is worth investing in – it means even better service for our customers, and by extension, the end-customers of those operators. BICS’ network carries around half of the world’s roaming traffic, so this move re-affirms our strength in the global communications landscape and is also a future investment for when the industry fully moves to 5G and looks to deploy network slicing at scale.”
Next-Generation 5G Services
As 5G network slicing is used at scale throughout the industry, the SDN controller will become an essential component for BICS in order to handle both local and roaming traffic slices. This would especially be noteworthy since the present use cases for 5G slicing are only for local traffic. This means that it opens the door for potential use cases in the future that allow global connection. In the future, the success of this next level of innovation would be contingent on operators’ adoption of 5G and slicing at scale.
Because of this new advancement, BICS’s network would be in a better position to support applications that need low latency and crucial response times, which is the more immediate consequence of this change. The controller is responsible for monitoring all of the network’s routing pathways and making choices that will constantly adjust and improve the flow of traffic. Lower latency and increased network reliability in the event of outages would be beneficial for some use cases, such as the streaming of live video for use in safety applications, for instance at an industrial site. This will be accomplished via the use of intelligent low-latency routing, which indicates that the SDN will determine the routes that are the most efficient for each kind of traffic and will automate switches to ensure continuous connection.
“SDN control provided by Nokia NSP will be a key component that will enable customers of BICS to deliver next-generation 5G services,” said Rafael de Fermin, Vice President of the Network Infrastructure business in Europe at Nokia. “The delivery of network slicing will allow enterprises looking to adapt 5G for advanced use cases, such as IoT or M2M, to get the consistent quality of service that has been promised by 5G for some time. It’s another piece of the 5G puzzle falling into place and taking the industry one step closer to global 5G adoption.”
