Thailand's second largest mobile operator, dtac, part of the Telenor Group will become the first mobile operator in Thailand to implement a software-defined network (SDN)-ready IP/optical network, according to Nokia, which is supplying IP/optical products to dtac for its backbone network.
Nokia says the network will eventually deliver ultra-broadband mobile access to more than 40 percent of Thailand's population. 'The number of mobile subscribers in Thailand is increasing rapidly, stimulating greater demand for advanced networks to support surging data consumption,' says Nokia.
'dtac needed a core network to handle the increased data demand, but also with the open interfaces and the programmability necessary to support a migration to SDN.'
Nokia is supplying its 7950 Extensible Routing System (XRS) and the 1830 Photonic Service Switch (PSS) to replace dtac's existing IP core routing and dense wave division multiplexing (DWDM) infrastructure to 'provide the capacity and capabilities required to efficiently address growth in demand, and lay the foundation for an SDN infrastructure.'
The deployment also includes Nokia's security gateway for dtac's LTE network. 'Combined, these platforms ensure that dtac is well positioned to meet customer bandwidth requirements into the future while improving network flexibility and reliability,' Nokia says,
dtac CTO, Prathet Tankuranun, said: ""Over the last two years we've seen demand for mobile broadband grow exponentially. As we prepare for future advanced technologies we've made a strategic choice for an SDN-ready IP/optical network because it gives us the control and agility needed to run an efficient network that can rapidly adjust to evolving demand patterns. This deployment with Nokia is an important next step in our migration towards full SDN automation.""
Sebastien Laurent, head of Nokia Thailand, said the upgrade would 'allow dtac to implement on-demand services while also easing operation and maintenance demands.""
