If you want to make money selling carrier cloud infrastructure, you’re running out of time. There are three Light Reading stories to buttress this view. First, Verizon and AT&T are both working through plans to build private wireless networks for enterprises. Second, IBM has joined other public cloud providers in going after network operator carrier…
Ericsson, Nokia, and Open RAN
Ericsson says it will embrace Open RAN, via its “Cloud RAN” initiative. That’s big news because Ericsson is a bit behind others in embracing the new open model. But Nokia is planning a restructuring that’s not getting raves from analysts, despite having taken a positive Open RAN stance well before rival Ericsson. Just how disruptive…
What Do Operators Say are the Barriers to Transformation?
What do operators think makes transformation difficult? That’s a key question not only for operators, but for any who want to drive changes to fundamental network infrastructure principles and architectures. There are technical elements that operators see as barriers, but the biggest ones are far more financial than technical. I’ve gathered this information from 84…
NaaS and the Protocol-Independent Network
Over the years, we’ve had many different protocols, but the interesting truth is that within each of them, there’s a common element—the data. Whether we’re transporting information in IP or SNA or DECnet or X.25, we’re still transporting information. The protocol isn’t the information, it’s just a contextual wrapper that defines the rules for exchanging…
What is an NGOSS and Why Do I Care?
What the heck is an NGOSS? I’ve used the term a lot, relating to the “NGOSS Contract”, but for those not familiar with the OSS/BSS space or the TMF, it may be mysterious. Tata Consultancy Services, a large and active professional services firm, recently did a paper on “reimagining” the OSS/BSS, a TMF paper asking…
Did Juniper Pay too Much for 128 Technology?
Did Juniper pay too much for 128 Technology? That’s a question that’s been raised by some financial analysts, by some who hold Juniper stock, and by at least one industry pundit, HERE. It’s not unusual for some to question the value of an acquisition like this, particularly in an industry that’s not been a dazzling…
Vendors and Operators: Changing Dynamic?
Should prey help predators by cooperating with them in the hunt? A Light Reading story on the Broadband World Forum conference highlights the view that operators want the telecom equipment vendors to “get more involved in open source projects instead of sitting on the sidelines.” Sorry, but that sure sounds to me like proposing a…
Would Satellite Broadband Work Better for IoT than 5G?
Should we be thinking about a Satellite Internet of Things? The emerging battle between Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos for low-earth-orbit satellite broadband raises the question, not because satellite broadband is a universal option, but because it’s an option where other options don’t exist, and likely won’t for decades. That could be a killer IoT…
Juniper Gets the Best SD-WAN, and Combined with Mist AI, it Could Take Off
Juniper Networks has announced its intention to acquire 128 Technology, the company I’ve always said was the drop-dead leader in SD-WAN and virtual network technology. 128T will apparently be integrated with Juniper’s Mist AI at some point, and the combination of the technologies opens up a whole series of options for service creation and automation,…
My Response to the Code of Conduct Framework
I was very pleased and interested when Don Clarke, an old friend from the days of NFV, posted a link on a “code of conduct” to “boost innovation and increase vendor diversity”. He asked me to comment on the paper, and I’m going to give it the consideration it deserves by posting a blog on…
