Orange has agreed a joint development project with ADTRAN as part of the its Access Renewal and Evolution Strategy (ARES).
The partnership is focused on the application of software-defined networking (SDN) technology to fixed fibre access networks.
Expansion
To achieve the goal of building the best infrastructure to support the expansion of Orange’s fibre access network, the companies will create a roadmap for the possible introduction of a software-defined management architecture.
They will look to ensure that different network elements can be integrated with third-party management, control and orchestration platforms, and with other network devices.
The partners will also look to secure conformity with Orange’s engineering rules for gigabit passive optical networks (GPON) and speeds above that on XGS-PON architecture. The X in XGS represents the number 10, and the letter S stands for symmetrical, hence XGS-PON means 10 Gigabit Symmetrical PON.
The symmetrical speed and capacity up- and downstream means operators can potentially make money from their networks faster by providing premium-tier residential services and mobile ‘anyhaul’.
Ultimate goal
The ultimate goal of the partnership is to investigate, test and propose solutions that enable Orange to improve performance, shorten time-to-market for new services while reducing energy consumption in the network, and ultimately reduce costs.
This partnership will result in comprehensive architecture studies, technical requirements for the next generation of network nodes, cost models, prototype evaluations, field trials and preparation for potential field rollout within the Orange network.
Foundation
“Orange is committed to building a next-generation, software-defined access network that will serve as a foundation for the next wave of innovative residential and commercial business services,” said Dr Eduard Scheiterer, Senior VP of R&D at ADTRAN.
“ADTRAN shares Orange’s commitment to innovation, service quality and building networks the way they should be built. We are helping operators across the world, like Orange, create the open, scalable and flexible network foundations that will support growth for the next several decades.”