The hockey stick curve for mobile data growth isn’t slowing down. If anything, it’s accelerating but revenues are slowing, flat or even declining in some markets. Something has to change to support consumer uptake and optimize the network. LTE provided the fast, ubiquitous radio network – now the core needs to make a shift to the future.
Current core networks are fairly inflexible, costly, typically have needed truck rolls to upgrade, and are complex to interconnect. The need for a programmable network, where a robust software application with dynamic packet forwarding capabilities running on a physical server that can operate many functions and automatically instantiate itself is never
more apparent than today.
The advent of Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Function Virtualization (NFV) has come center stage for being able to offer mobile network operators (MNOs) the tools necessary to address the massive data usage by their customers. Mobile network operators are looking at how to improve their existing business models, support new services like the IoT and planning for 5G.
This white paper, prepared by Signals Research Group, discusses how MNOs can leaverage SDN and NFV to enable the next generation of mobile data growth.