Nokia Networks has expanded its telco cloud portfolio by releasing new products for security, evolved packet core and a network director.
Each of the products will be launched commercially this year and will be part of its Telco Cloud range, which aims to shift capacity to where it is required.
Operators can deploy radio networks using a distributed or centralised method and a range of fronthaul types, including ethernet. The vendor said that by using an operator’s existing assets more efficiently, it can save on the cost of upgrading its infrastructure. The new Nokia Radio Cloud product will use open source software and will go on sale from next year.
The new security director product allows operators to automatically deploy security products from a range of different vendors. Nokia Networks said the cloud product reduces operational costs and the need for manual implementation of network protection. It will begin shipping in the fourth quarter of this year.
The cloud evolved packet core will allow operators to use its network resources more effectively, using automation technology. It will begin shipping in the second quarter.
Meanwhile, the Finland-based company also revealed it would begin shipping its cloud network director during the third quarter of this year. The ETSI-compliant product will also enable operators to run virtual network functions such as evolved packet core or VoLTE.
Gabriel Brown, Senior Analyst, Heavy Reading, commented: “Radio is the next frontier to be explored in the telco cloud domain. Coordinating radio resource management and dynamic capacity allocation offers clear performance advantages. Operators need cloud-based radio solutions that are flexible enough to meet a wide variety of target use-cases and, from an investment perspective, that map to their existing network topologies.”
Henri Tervonen, Vice President, Mobile Broadband Architecture, Nokia Networks, said: “This is the first radio cloud architecture that offers a layered approach with different deployment models to optimise performance by enabling basic capacity to be built near cell sites, and with peak capacity in the data center being redirected to follow traffic demand. Continuing the evolution from Nokia Single RAN and Nokia Centralised RAN, our Radio Cloud network architecture is a tremendous platform to prepare for upcoming 5G for core and radio.”
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