NEC teams with ADVA, Juniper Networks for 5G xHaul transport network automation

NEC Corporation has advanced its xHaul transformation services as the foundation of an open ecosystem architecture to enable customers to have choice and flexibility, including delivery of service integration and professional services in support of streamlined 5G transport.

NEC said that, driven by digital transformation, device and application proliferation and key industry trends such as 5G and cloud, new traffic patterns are shaping the need for radically different network architectures to handle the capacity and demand for excellent user experiences.

Converged IP and optical solutions such as this, underpinned by automation, give service providers the agility, capacity, efficiency and consistency they need to deliver competitive, differentiated services, it said. Sophisticated networking techniques required for 5G services at scale, such as network slicing, also require multi-layer orchestration across both the IP and optical domains to create a seamless, simplified transport environment.

Aiming to solve these challenges for a multi-layer 5G transport network, the integrated multi-supplier system has been developed by NEC and its subsidiary, Netcracker, working with ADVA and Juniper Networks for packet optical automation, combining their respective technologies. ADVA is delivering secure optical connectivity and Juniper is providing automated IP WAN transport solutions, while Netcracker brings unified end-to-end multi-domain service orchestration and automation expertise.

The partners believe dynamic services enabled by 5G need a powerful transport network to optimise the user experience. The integrated multi-supplier packet optical automation system is said to be able to provide operational simplicity with Netcracker’s cross-layer network domain orchestration complemented by Juniper’s Paragon automation portfolio for network experience-driven control.

It also provides scalable IP transport networking with 400G ZR architectures enabled by combining integrated 400G technology on Juniper routers with ADVA’s open line system. Its open optical connectivity is deployed to maximise capacity reach for the lowest cost per bit and ensure data security through encryption.

NEC’s 5G xHaul transformation services are engineered for multi-supplier, multi-layer and multi-domain architectures for both packet and optical networking. Netcracker’s network domain orchestration enables multi-domain service, network lifecycle management, assurance and closed-loop operations automation across complex multi-layer transport networks with a single pane of glass.

“In the 5G era, NEC believes co-creation is the key driver to generating and delivering new value to society,” said Mayuko Tatewaki, general manager, service provider solutions division at NEC Corporation. “Working together with our strategic partners Juniper and ADVA in our 5G xHaul ecosystem, NEC and Netcracker are keen to orchestrate best-in-class multi-vendor-based solutions across multi-layers with automation that promises simplification of the end-to-end transport network and better TCO.”

Stephan Neidlinger, global business development VP at ADVA, added: “Closer integration of packet and optical layers enables network operators to automate their processes, offer services much faster and reduce operational efforts. Our team fully understands the importance of multi-vendor ecosystems and the value of close cooperation. By driving openness and interoperability, we are providing flexibility and technology choices for our customers.”