29 June 2016, Shenzhen, China – ZTE Corporation (0763.HK / 000063.SZ), a major international provider of telecommunications, enterprise and consumer technology solutions for the Mobile Internet, today announced that it has officially published its ElasticNet SDN/NFV technical white paper V3.0. This white paper, which combines the latest global SDN/NFV deployment practices and research results in related fields, taking triple (network, service and operation) re-architectures as its main line, comprehensively elaborates on the architecture, scenarios and solution of the ElasticNet - 2020 future-oriented network. The white paper also focuses on the CO ( central office) re-construction, network-on-demand, network slicing and other industry hot topic solutions.

In this paper, ZTE adheres to elastic networks as the development objective for future networks and outlines the evolution of network architecture as one centre, dual engines and triple-layer re-architectures. “One centre” means the network will be reconstructed with a cloud vDC (virtual data centre)-centric approach and that the cloud data centres will become the fundamental of new network infrastructure. “Dual engines” means facilitation of SDN and NFV technologies. SDN separates the control plane from the forwarding plane and enables capability exposure based on a centralised control. NFV decouples software from hardware and virtualises the network function on a network element level and redefines telecom cloud architecture. “Triple-layer re-architectures” includes network re-architecture that features cloud-network convergence at the bottom layer, service re-architecture that features “virtualisation and open” at the service control layer and operation re-architecture aiming at “smart  operation” at the upper layer. ElasticNet architecture introduces ideas in the evolution of high-level architecture of the future network and the openness of this architecture means it can support a wide range of industry cooperation.

For typical cases of network transformation, the white paper focuses on the CO re-construction, network-on-demand, network slicing and other solutions. It elaborates in-depth the important role of the elastic network in aspects such as telecom cloud constitution, service-on-demand and massive different applications in the 5G era as well as the implementation roadmap and help with network transformation in stepping into the practicing stage.

You Yan, the Vice President of ZTE, said: “ZTE has a deep understanding of the network technology challenges faced by telecom operators, and fully grasps the service experience of users and leads the evolution of network technology. Back in 2013, ZTE released its ElasticNet solution which combines the technical advantages of SDN and NFV and has been continuously improving the solution since then. The ElasticNet technical white paper V3.0 further elaborates on ZTE’s vision of the evolution of future networks. Elasticity and openness have become the consensus in the development of telecommunications networks. SDN/NFV are stepping from the system validating stage into the commercial practicing stage and ZTE will, as always, support the network transformation of telecom operators and jointly construct the new elastic network ecosystem.”

ZTE has developed cooperation with dozens of mainstream telecom operators and partners around the world. By the end of June 2016, ZTE will have won more than 10 SDN/NFV commercial contracts on a global scale and conducted more than 50 PoC ( proof of concept) tests/trials. To support telecom operators’ aim of transformation to a SDN/NFV-based future network, ZTE follows network development trends, gets closer to user needs with timely update research and practical results published in the ElasticNet technical white paper. It continues to publish to the industry to help telecom operators accelerate efficient collaboration, on-demand customisation, and the construction of flexible and scalable next generation networks.

Download ZTE’s “ElasticNet SDN/NFV technical white paper”