ADVA Optical Networking is developing a commercial device to support the Telecom Infra Project's (TIP) Disaggregated Cell Site Gateway (DCSG) group.
The group is a collaboration between four global telecoms operators - Vodafone, Telefonica, Orange, and TIM Brazil – via TIP, to define the next-generation of a critical device within the mobile network, which connects the equipment that serves people’s phones to the rest of the operator network, the Disaggregated Cell Site Gateway.
This is designed to offer a more open option for infrastructure that offers more choice, faster innovation, and cost efficiencies, supporting customer growth and increased demand for data in the run up to 5G migration. Disaggregated, open systems allow global mobile operators to realise values each software and hardware component bring together independently with faster time-to-market for services.
Some of the operators involved are issuing a Request for Information (RFI) to potential suppliers on various aspects of the system including hardware, network operating system, protocol support, dynamic configurability, and manageability, leveraging the existing ecosystem of software, hardware and system integrator partners. The team has laid out the foundation of such devices that are open, disaggregated, interoperable, and supplier-neutral. These are critical aspects in building the next-generation mobile networks because they provide the ability to choose the best technology blend available at any point in time, without being locked into a particular choice thereafter.
The ADVA DCSG solution will comprise a fully tested and integrated white box gateway device and a comprehensive bundle of installation, commissioning and monitoring services. It is expected to be generally available in the second half of 2019. It is the second commercial offering it has developed for TIP, the first having been built around the open and disaggregated Voyager device for the Open Optical Packet Transport group (see Vodafone Spain completes live trial using TIP’s Voyager ‘white box’ platform).
As with Voyager, ADVA will work closely with partners to develop the cell site gateway device. Currently, Edgecore is providing key support in designing and building the hardware as part of ADVA’s integrated solution which, when coupled with supporting services, enables customers to benefit from an open, yet cohesive cell site solution.
Niall Robinson, VP, global business development at ADVA said of the announcement: ‘What we're announcing today will give mobile network operators a simple and complete solution to a key problem with their 5G rollouts: How do they cost-effectively deploy hundreds of thousands of cell site gateways to meet 5G traffic demands? We're helping to steer the DCSG group forward and rapidly bring a solution to market that answers a very real problem for operators across the globe.
Added Luis MartinGarcia, co-chair, DCSG project group, TIP, and manager, network technologies, Facebook: ‘What we're developing with the team at ADVA has the potential to dramatically change the whole nature of cell site gateways. By moving away from a closed proprietary system to an open, disaggregated and vendor-neutral infrastructure, mobile network operators have a genuine opportunity to increase network efficiencies.’
