Open Network Featured Article

The Open Networking Foundation (ONF) was established by like-minded organizations with the goal of promoting and adopting Software-Defined Networking (SDN) through open standards development. With the growing challenges network operators face, having an adaptable architecture that allows administrators the programmability, automation and control SDN provides will be essential moving forward. Hardware manufacturers, telecoms, network operators and software vendors have all joined the open networking concept to achieve this goal. One of the companies is ZTE (News - Alert), which just announced its NR8000 Microware has passed ONF's wireless proof of concept (PoC) test with SDN along with the participation of several vendors.

By implementing software defined networking through an open and collaborative development process driven from the end-user perspective, a more agile and cost effective system has been created with ONF so network administrators can integrate best-of-breed technology as it is developed.

The PoC test in which ZTE participated in was organized by Open Networking Foundation, making it the third such test after the two previous tests held in 2015. This test was carried out in New Jersey in October 2016, with ZTE being invited to participate and develop the spectrum management application.

The company used the NR8000 series of products, its new 5G-oriented platform devices, which according to the result stood out with zero errors during the pre-test stage in terms of solution design, research and development and verification. The microwave capability of the NR8000 series demonstrated ZTE is capable of advance industrial development while making improvements in the related standards set by the open networking view point.

The company stated this success will encourage it to continue investing in the wireless backhaul field to further the cause of the ONF and software defined networking business opportunities, development and maturation.

The NR8000 line is made up of Indoor Unit (IDU) and Outdoor Unit (ODU) with high-quality network availability and throughput of 600 Mbps per carrier with transmission continuity and increased spectrum usage. This includes Packet Intelligence Segment (PIS) and quality of service that avoids big latency and jitter of high priority services, while ensuring secure network management channels such as SNMP V3/SSH/HTTPS/SFTP and others with link identification to improve network security.

The ZTE line of microwave products are providing transmission services for 200 telecom operators and enterprises in more than 90 countries around the world as of the third quarter of 2016.