Wind Tre is embracing virtualisation to prepare it for 5G and the next generation of Internet of Things technology.
The Italian operator is working with Ericsson on a five-year project aiming to modernise its core network through virtual Evolved Packet Core, NFV infrastructure (NFVi), prime system integration and support services.
The project will kick off in the second quarter of this year. Ericsson said its NFVi is fully compatible with ESTI’s NFV Architectural Framework and Management and Orchestration architecture, which it said would ensure reliability and improve speed, efficiency and agility.
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Benoit Hanssen, Chief Technology Officer at Wind Tre, said: “This is another big step in the journey that Wind Tre is making to provide the best quality network and high value services to our customers.
“We are transforming to be ready for the digital revolution that 5G and IoT will bring. We are pleased to partner with Ericsson on this important deal which secures a deep knowledge of the existing technology and will provide a state-of-the-art virtualized network.”
Arun Bansal, Senior Vice President, Head of Market Area Europe and Latin America, Ericsson, added: “This deal strengthens our core network business with Wind Tre to evolve its existing network and be the partner for their evolution to cloud. We will provide state-of-the-art virtual core network applications, NFV infrastructure, orchestration and end-to-end professional services enabling Wind Tre to provide great experiences to its customers and opening up IoT opportunities as we move towards 5G.”