Vodafone picks Huawei to underpin NFV and SDN roll-out

Mobile network operator (MNO) Vodafone has signed up Huawei to lay the foundations of its group-wide network functions virtualisation (NFV) and software-defined network (SDN) deployment.

The operator is currently pushing out NFV and SDN across its business and undertaking a wider operational transformation needed to bring increased agility, consistency and efficiency to its network processes.

Huawei will supply Vodafone with its OpenStack-powered cloud operating system (OS), FusionSphere, to build open and agile cloud datacentres.

“We are delighted to add Huawei as a supplier for our network transformation programme,” said Fran Heeran, head of network virtualisation at Vodafone.

“Openness and standards are key to our future strategy and OpenStack is an important element of our transformation program. We look forward to working with Huawei to accelerate the deployment of virtualised resources and services,” she added.

Huawei bills FusionSphere as a “focal point” in its cloud line-up, and said it is particularly well suited to telco cloud use cases, offering standard OpenStack interfaces, community-enhanced features, and open access to third-party virtual network functions.

“Huawei is committed to open standards and customer centricity, and will continue to increase its investments in OpenStack development and contributions back to the open source community,” said Zheng Yelai, president of Huawei’s cloud business unit and IT product line.

“Huawei is providing Vodafone with the key technologies to become future-ready in network capabilities and to embrace all that digital business has to offer.”

Separately, Vodafone has also entered into an alliance with Japanese telecoms business Softbank – the firm that acquired UK chipmaker ARM in the summer of 2016. The two companies have joined forces to enhance commercial and operational support for Vodafone’s multinational enterprise customers with offices in Japan.