Verizon said this week that it would utilize software-defined networking to combine its existing edge routers onto a one platform.
Officials said deployments began on Verizon IP networks in early 2018 and will continue through the end of 2019, eventually replacing the network’s legacy edge router functions entirely.
“Software defined networking continues to deliver on its promise to improve network management and also enables us to be more nimble in the ways we serve our customers,” Verizon Network Infrastructure Planning Director Michael Altland said in a statement.
The combination of service edge routers for Ethernet and IP-based services on a single platform would establish a simpler network edge — and improve infrastructure deployments and as well as Ethernet, internet and VPN-based services.
Verizon, along with Cisco and Juniper Networks, also said the new system would bolster network efficiency and allow the company to develop new technologies more quickly.
“Next-generation services that require low latency and real-time response are moving closer to users at the network edge, creating new gains in performance and business agility,” said Juniper CTO Bikash Koley.
The multi-service edge solution, officials added, includes a disaggregated control plane, which uses external compute to enhance its capabilities beyond those of a traditional router.
“By decoupling the control plane from a carrier-grade provider edge routing platform and moving it to general compute servers, we can serve our consumer and enterprise customers from the same platform, giving them all the functionality they need, while running our networks far more efficiently,” Altland said.