ECI has announced an advanced solution to provide the dynamic, intelligent connectivity fabric required for 5G networks.
It serves as a springboard for 5G, enabling operators to easily scale and build underlying infrastructure for addressing key 5G requirements such as ultra-low latency and hyper-flexible bandwidth, while simplifying and automating operational lifecycles to reduce OpEx.
5G will drive significant growth in mobile bandwidth – with the industry estimating a 100 to 1000-fold capacity increase – and an exponential surge in end-end-connections driven by IoT. While mass implementation is expected in 2020 and beyond, many operators are already beginning to introduce 5G NSA (non-standalone) network solutions using new 5G radio specifications in tandem with a 4G core network. However, providing more sophisticated services based on the concept of network slicing will require a full 5G connectivity fabric and standalone (SA) standard.
“5G promises to change the way we live, offering unprecedented services and an unparalleled user experience, but 5G goes beyond capacity. It is not just another G, nor is it simply about radio, rather it will change networking as we know it,” said Darryl Edwards, CEO and president of ECI. “However, we must remember 5G will still need to operate in conjunction with 4G LTE, and even 3G. It is paramount that network infrastructure be ELASTIC enough to enable the interworking and coexistence of generations.”
At the core of ECI’s solution is the Elastic Services Platform, launched earlier this year. At the heart of the platform lies ECI’s programmable transport products: Apollo Optical family, Neptune Packet-Optical family and Mercury™ NFV-based solutions. These solutions are fully leveraged and orchestrated by ECI’s Muse – an open, modular SDN software suite – which provides real-time network control and optimization of service delivery. By bringing together the latest in IP and Optical interworking (including new technologies such as FlexE and Path Computation), intuitive service orchestration and network automation, ECI’s 5G solution delivers: scalable transport, adaptive network slicing, assured service delivery, integrating (MEC) multi-access edge computing and open architecture.
