Accelerating the Demonstration and Adoption of NetroSphere

1. Introduction

The telecommunication market is rapidly changing into an environment that surpasses the traditional value of connectivity and produces new value revolving around mobile and cloud services geared to OTT (over-the-top) players. In light of this environmental change, the NTT Group announced Towards the Next Stage 2.0 as a medium-term management strategy and is now aiming to accelerate the evolution towards a form of business such as the Hikari Collaboration Model (wholesaling of fiber access service) by NTT EAST and NTT WEST. We are also working to achieve business in which networks are bundled with services such as MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) services, and the transformation to a business-to-business-to-X (B2B2X) business model through collaboration with partners in diverse fields. In addition, we are in a transformative period that involves the development of the Internet of Things (IoT) and machine-to-machine (M2M) services that are moving from traditional services focused on people to sensors and connected cars, while network requirements and the surrounding environment are undergoing major innovations.

NTT formulated and announced the NetroSphere concept in February 2015 as a new network research and development (R&D) concept in order to address various future changes such as the full-scale implementation of the B2B2X model and IoT/M2M services, as well as the introduction of fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication technology. NetroSphere fulfills a variety of customer requirements through the free combination of modularized network functions, and its ubiquitous presence protects against risks and the changing environment [1] (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1. Concept for implementing NetroSphere.

Since announcing the NetroSphere concept, NTT has been striving to advance the penetration of this concept. To do this, we held dialogs with global carriers and vendors and pursued active interoperation and use of cloud technologies such as OpenStack. This enabled NTT to develop plans for a future network that will lead the world and to promote the R&D of elemental technologies that will constitute this network (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2. Efforts underway to realize NetroSphere.

2. Materialization of the NetroSphere concept

The initial work on the NetroSphere concept focused on facilitating the development of a new architecture centered on a core network and server systems, including a new network architecture called Multi-Service Fabric (MSF) [2]; a new server architecture called MAGONIA; and a management and orchestration operation system (MOOS), which exercises flexible control over MSF and MAGONIA. In technology development, we are pursuing open and global sharing of the concept and are actively promoting collaborative development with approved vendors. Announcements of the intent to cooperate in developing technology for the NetroSphere concept have come from multiple global vendors [3], while productization by individual companies in line with the NetroSphere concept is gaining momentum [4].

We investigated applications of MAGONIA not only to communication systems, but also to non-stop traffic congestion prediction and signal control systems by leveraging the benefits of a highly reliable, real-time distributed processing base technology, and we verified the effectiveness of these applications through demonstration tests [5, 6]. These examples show the application potential of NetroSphere architecture for a broad range of information and communication technology (ICT) systems. In addition, we are collaborating with Intel Corporation to develop SPP (Soft Patch Panel) technology that achieves ultra-high-speed interconnection over a diversity of services [7].

In February 2016, we expanded the NetroSphere concept to the access system domain and proposed Flexible Access System Architecture (FASA) as a new architecture for access systems [8]. FASA can be flexibly and economically constructed in response to service requirements by thoroughly modularizing the functions that constitute access device and freely combining these components. This conceptual proposal concerning device modularization that ventures into the field of access device implementation is a world first. Now, as we approach the era of 5G and IoT, we consider FASA to be an architecture that enables low cost and flexible combination of wired and wireless devices as well as flexible response even when computing resources must be deployed near the user, such as edge computing and ultra-low latency services.

After the concept was announced in February, NTT began recruiting global partners for the widespread adoption of the FASA concept. In May, NTT released a FASA white paper, which is a detailed description of the FASA concept, together with a draft of the inter-component interface (API: application programming interface). Radical changes are taking place in the way access devices are handled, and such devices are undergoing a conversion to general-purpose and more economical ones. In addition, initiatives are increasing towards new uses of access systems for a wide range of partners [9].

While NTT laboratories are advancing the development of elemental technologies that realize the NetroSphere concept, they have also started building and operating a NetroSphere demonstration test environment that materializes the NetroSphere concept. This environment, named NetroSpherePIT, is not only used for visualizing the concept, and for establishing and verifying its technology; it is also used for developing concrete examples of ideas in real, physical form together with NTT operating companies and various partners to create new usage scenarios, services, and functions [10, 11].

Through these initiatives, the phase of permeating the NetroSphere concept has been completed, and we have entered the demonstration phase with an eye on commercialization, while the development of technology and products by various worldwide vendors is moving forward.

3. Future network architecture and NetroSphere technology usage sought by NTT R&D

In this section, we describe what we want to achieve in the future with NetroSphere.

4. Global expansion of the NetroSphere concept

Since the announcement of the NetroSphere concept in February 2015, in order to facilitate specific implementations of the concept, the NTT laboratories have moved forward with the global expansion of the concept with the goal of achieving widespread adoption of technologies and products based on this concept.

Until now, we have been delivering our vision of future networks through international conferences and other events, while also examining use cases and the applicability of new technologies towards concrete collaboration with global carriers and vendors. As discussed above, the NetroSphere concept will bring about substantial innovation in the network architecture of telecommunication carriers. We have been gaining the approval of many global carriers and vendors and have been starting collaboration with partners outside Japan.

One of the base technologies of NetroSphere is virtualization. Since its introduction, virtualization has been advancing as server technology for datacenters, and the technology has been developed and adopted through open solutions centered on software implementation. Both NFV and SDN apply virtualization technology to telecommunication carriers’ infrastructure. Major innovation in infrastructure technology development and standardization is considered necessary so that carriers can use these technologies. Therefore, it is necessary to facilitate technology development and expanded adoption by using open source software and the like, based not only on existing de jure standardization but also on open collaboration. Consequently, to implement this type of effective approach in the development of NetroSphere, NTT has opened the door to associated global carrier and vendor partners, and is proceeding with technology development and expanded adoption of the technology through combined use of diverse methods that go beyond existing frameworks.

In its collaboration with global carriers, NTT is studying the use cases and applicability of technology through joint efforts with Asia-Pacific (APAC) carriers, in addition to its existing activities with European and American carriers through standardization organizations. In the APAC region, the growth potential of telecommunication markets is comparatively high, and investment in the new technologies and services of the telecommunication infrastructure is expected. The region is composed of countries with diverse local characteristics. Therefore, new services based on diverse customer requirements can be expected to be introduced in the telecommunication market and ICT industry.

We believe that the network flexibility resulting from NetroSphere will be adopted not only in the Japanese market but also in the markets of the APAC region with their great diversity. NTT thus aims to bring innovation to the entire global sector to contribute to the expansion of these markets.

With respect to global vendors, NTT intends to share the concept for future networks and move ahead with the joint implementation of technology discussions and examination of specifications. We are carrying out joint examination of use cases, network configuration methods, and technology specifications employing the primary technologies of NetroSphere—MSF, MAGONIA, FASA, and MOOS—with several vendors who are active worldwide. Furthermore, preparations are being made for jointly conducting PoC (proof of concept) demonstrations to verify the feasibility of new technology.

As a specific example in server technology, starting in February 2014, a joint study project was initiated by Nokia Corporation (formerly Alcatel-Lucent), Fujitsu Limited, and NTT towards the establishment of distributed server technology as the basic functional section of the communication network together with a new server architecture [13]. In February 2016, Ericsson and NTT began collaborating on technology concerning a next generation cloud server [3]. Technology for separating server hardware, and management and control technology are positioned as important elemental technologies that need to be established to achieve the NetroSphere concept that will provide new services in a shorter time. NTT is facilitating open collaboration with these global partners to achieve the NetroSphere concept in the future.

5. Future development

NetroSphere has gone beyond the concept stage and is entering the verification phase with an eye on commercialization. Towards full-scale implementation of IoT and 5G, we aim to develop NetroSphere as a network infrastructure that supports the B2B2X collaboration business of the NTT Group as we look ahead beyond the year 2020. With the NetroSphere architecture, it is also possible to have a small start that responds flexibly to service requirements in the form of add-ons to the existing network. We aim for concrete application in the global market in time for the big event in 2020, so we are taking the initiative to achieve the rapid commercialization of the technology.

Furthermore, we will make maximum use of the benefits of the NetroSphere architecture by combining it with Network-AI, NTT’s artificial intelligence (AI) technology, that enables dramatic improvements in network security and diverse network log information usage (big data analysis), and will thereby improve the value of networks that are easy for partners (service providers) to use with safety and security.

References

Tadashi Ito Director, NTT Information Network Laboratory Group. He received a B.E. and M.E. from Keio University, Kanagawa, in 1985 and 1987. Since joining NTT in 1987, he has conducted research on asynchronous transfer mode based multimedia switching architecture and hardware/software implementation. He has also been involved in design and planning of NTT’s commercial networks, management of laboratory research and development, and human resource strategy planning.