ETSI has announced the publication of two documents, a White Paper called “NFV evolution: Towards the Telco Cloud” and a Group Report.
They introduce a new NFV architecture that evolves the current MANO architecture towards an approach around the concept of Telco Cloud. The White Paper and Group Report, developed by members of the ETSI NFV ISG, address the necessity for Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) to support emerging use cases and technological advancements anticipated in future network generations, such as 6G. They underscore key drivers for evolving the architecture such as simplification, cloud-nativeness, software portability across diverse infrastructures, sustainable evolution, enhanced automation, flexibility, modularity and scalability.
The ETSI White Paper analyses relevant use cases and trends to be considered in the evolution of NFV, such as connectivity of billions of people and devices, industrial networks and societal automation, beyond connectivity services, end-to-end automated management and migration scenarios of interworking between 6G and earlier generations.
A key feature of the evolved architecture is the introduction of a new platform-oriented Telco Cloud framework. This framework aims to simplify the integration of infrastructure and related orchestration and management, facilitating the digital transformation of telecom networks. By defining platform-level capabilities and services at different granularities and scopes, the framework helps bridge the gap between telecom networks and cloud technologies, enabling a variety of telecom services.
“Our new Group Report and the related White Paper represent a collective effort of the ETSI NFV community to adapt NFV as we move towards the Telco Cloud,” said Nakajima Yoshihiro, the chair of ETSI NFV. “These documents not only reflect the transformative impact NFV has already had on telecom networks but also charts an ambitious and innovative path for its future. By embracing cloud-native principles, enhanced automation, and cutting-edge technologies like AI and digital twins, we are redefining NFV to meet the demands of next-generation networks, including 6G and virtualised RAN. The vision of a platform-oriented Telco Cloud promises to simplify operations, enhance scalability, and empower network operators with unprecedented flexibility. We strongly believe this evolutionary framework, underpinned by robust principles and forward-thinking enablers, will solidify NFV’s role as a cornerstone of the telecom industry’s digital transformation.”
Furthermore, the White Paper and Report explore technological enablers that will support NFV evolution. These include declarative management APIs, GitOps methodologies, resource and service controller-based platforms, “data as code” approaches and versatile data models, and the integration of big data, digital twins, and artificial intelligence (AI). Other technologies include network observability ensuring more dynamic, efficient and responsive operations, including AI-driven threat detection mechanisms to ensure robust protection against emerging cybersecurity threats. These technologies will enhance flexibility and improve network deployment and operations.
The new proposed platform-oriented framework will help network operators use existing cloud infrastructure solutions and make telecom network deployments more reliable and sustainable while adopting best practices and principles from the cloud and network virtualisation ecosystem.
The ETSI NFV ISG is happy to partner with standards and open-source communities to help realise the expected NFV evolution for the benefit of the whole telecom industry.
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