Network Automation, Virtualisation Key to Deploying ‘Intelligent’ 5G Base Stations, VMware Exec Says

A top exec in the information and telecommunications (IT) industry said at a major industry event progress in network automation had taken place the last few years, namely in sectors such as work cloud telco infrastructure, but was still in the early stages despite major gains.

Network automation in the global telecoms industry was still “in the early days” but revealed promising capabilities, Sachin Katti, vice-president of teleco strategy at VMWare and professor at Stanford University said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the 5G Transformation 2021 Event, the VMware exec explained his firm’s collaboration with US chipmaker Intel on the FlexRAN network architecture to boost automation efficiency via machine learning algorithms.

Network automation and virtualisation platforms allowed telcos to work “highly efficiently” on VMware telco cloud platforms.

Additional efforts to build interfaces for RAN Intelligent Controllers (RICs), allowing telcos to programme virtual RAN (vRAN) infrastructure.

The interfaces allowed automated control of devices accessing a vRAN network based on data demand, Katti said, citing data-hungry demands such as videoconferencing and enterprise applications.

He added automation would optimise base station functions in real-time and upgrade services for the networks, separating business and consumer data and allowing operators as well as new entrants to introduce new technologies.

Deploying complex networks across several key use case scenarios, including moving and static infrastructure, would also be facilitated by automation, adding “tremendous potential” for network optimisation, he said.

Automation Key to ‘Intelligent’ Use of Network Resources

When asked by Sputnik about whether RAN automation could boost power efficiency and reduce overall energy consumption, Katti said that such processes would allow more “intelligent” use of computing and networking resources.

Doing so would boost performance in networks to lower power consumption with automation capabilities, he concluded.

The virtual 5G Transformation Forum united business leaders, investors and journalists across the global telecommunications industry via roundtable talks aimed at tackling problems such as skyrocketing demand in the COVID-19 pandemic and building new technologies in the internet of things (IoT), connected cars, OpenRAN, among many others.

Major firms such as Verizon, Orange, T-Mobile, VMware, Telefonica, AT&T and numerous others joined the talks. Sponsors for the event included Keysight Technologies, Dell Computers, Intel Inc, Inseego, Anritsu and many others.

Sourse: sputniknews.com

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