ONF’s published reference designs start to be deployed

Operators are already deploying the first reference designs published by the Open Networking Foundation (ONF). Three of the ONF’s five reference designs have now been made public. 

Just over a year ago, eight operators - AT&T, Comcast, China Unicom, Deutsche Telekom, Google, NTT Group, Telefonica and Turk Telekom - took the step to design key components of their edge and access networks after becoming frustrated with what they perceived as foot-dragging by the systems vendors.  

AT&T is deploying one of the reference designs - the SDN-enabled broadband access scheme (SEBA). Deutsche Telekom and Telefónica have also said they will deploy SEBA during 2019 and 2020. 

Click to read more ...

ONF advances its vision for the network edge

The Open Networking Foundation’s (ONF) goal to create software-driven architectures for the network edge has advanced with the announcement of its first reference designs.

In March, eight leading service providers within the ONF - AT&T, Comcast, China Unicom, Deutsche Telekom, Google, NTT Group, Telefonica and Turk Telekom - published their strategic plan whereby they would take a hands-on approach to the design of their networks after becoming frustrated with what they perceived as foot-dragging by the systems vendors.  

Timon SloaneThree months on, the service providers have initial drafts of the the first four reference designs: a broadband access architecture, a spine-leaf switch for network functions virtualisation (NFV), a more general networking fabric that uses the P4 packet forwarding programming language, and the open disaggregated transport network (ODTN).  

The ONF also announced four system vendors - Adtran, Dell EMC, Edgecore Networks, and Juniper Networks - have joined to work with the operators on the reference design programmes.

Click to read more ...

ONF’s operators seize control of their networking needs

• The eight ONF service providers will develop reference designs addressing the network edge.
• The service providers want to spur the deployment of open-source designs after becoming frustrated with the systems vendors failing to deliver what they need. 
• The reference designs will be up and running before year-end.
• New partners have committed to join since the consortium announced its strategic plan

The service providers leading the Open Networking Foundation (ONF) will publish open designs to address next-generation networking needs.

Timon SloaneThe ONF service providers - NTT Group, AT&T, Telefonica, Deutsche Telekom, Comcast, China Unicom, Turk Telekom and Google - are taking a hands-on approach to the design of their networks after becoming frustrated with what they perceive as foot-dragging by the systems vendors.

“All eight [operators] have come together to say in unison that they are going to work inside the ONF to craft explicit plans - blueprints - for the industry for how to deploy open-source-based solutions,” says Timon Sloane, vice president of marketing and ecosystem at the ONF. 

Click to read more ...