The popularity of streaming services (such as video-on-demand platforms like Netflix, music streaming services like Spotify (News - Alert) and live streaming platforms like Twitch) have changed the way people consume media and entertainment. However, as these services grow in popularity, so does the demand for higher bandwidth.
Consumers have become accustomed to enjoying content in the best-possible quality, and this necessitates higher data rates to handle the increased data transfer requirements. This only multiplies within households using multiple devices too. Internet service providers worldwide need to update their networks to meet these escalating demands for faster and more reliable internet connections.
Fastweb, one of Italy's telecommunications operators, is doing that and is set to experience a significant boost in network performance and improved streaming experiences for its customers, thanks to a collaboration between tech giants Cisco and Qwilt. The two companies recently announced their joint Content Delivery Network, or CDN solution, based on Open Caching, which will be introduced to the Italian market.
This innovative offering incorporates Qwilt (News - Alert) Edge Node Software, Qwilt Cloud Services and Qwilt Open APIs. By deploying content caching and delivery closer to end-users, at the edge of both fixed and mobile networks, the solution reduces average latency by 60%. The unique architecture also lowers the cost of network capacity expansion, enabling Fastweb to scale rapidly and provide media and applications at an unprecedented level of quality.
The collaboration with Cisco (News - Alert) adds further strength to the CDN solution. By leveraging Cisco's edge compute and networking infrastructure, the joint venture can deliver the solution as a service to service providers worldwide, regardless of their size. This strategic partnership underscores both Cisco and Qwilt's commitment to establishing a unified global content delivery network, benefiting content publishers and communication service providers alike on an international scale.
At the heart of this cutting-edge solution lies Open Caching, an open architecture championed by the Streaming Video Technology Alliance. This platform facilitates the federation of content delivery infrastructure deployed deep within service provider networks, offering open APIs and robust security mechanisms for content publishers. The result? A rapid deployment of an edge CDN footprint, addressing the capacity needs, content delivery consistency, and performance assurance required by global and regional content providers.
"Thanks to our partnership with Cisco and Qwilt, we can deliver exceptional digital experiences to our residential and businesses customers throughout Italy,” said Fabrizio Casati, Chief Wholesale Officer, Fastweb. “This deployment marks an exciting transformation in our network infrastructure that will help us address increasing demands for bandwidth and ultimately enable us to deliver a superior quality of experience to our customers.”
As demand for streaming content and data volumes continues to surge, the joint efforts of Cisco and Qwilt are primed to revolutionize content delivery, providing Fastweb's residential and business customers with a seamless streaming experience throughout Italy.
Edited by
Alex Passett
