SDN Communications Selects Nokia’s Network Services Platform

By The Editors of AGL

June 25, 2020

SDN Communications, a business-to-business broadband service provider in the South Dakota and southern Minnesota region, has selected Nokia to prepare it for offering 5G wireless communications services by automating its internet protocol (IP) and optical networks. According to a Nokia news release, Nokia’s Network Services Platform (NSP) will provide comprehensive multilayer management and control of SDN Communications’ IP and optical network will enable efficient operations, reduce costs and enhance service performance and reliability to enable SDN to quickly respond to fast-changing customer demands like the eventual rollout of 5G wireless communications services.

Nokia describes its NSP as the industry’s most comprehensive software-defined networking platform for multilayer, cross-domain and multivendor management of IP routing and optical transport assets. According to the company, it unifies service automation, network optimization and assurance in a single integrated software platform so that service providers like SDN Communications can deliver on-demand network services quickly, cost effectively and at great scale.

With the Nokia NSP, operating costs are reduced because it is a single, powerful management and control platform that supports common tools and practices across and between IP and optical network layers and network domains, the news release reads. “Its flexible, modular and programmable approach also helps service providers quickly respond and adapt to changing subscriber demands,” according to the company. “And, its open interfaces simplify integration into the existing environment to enable faster deployment and service rollouts like 5G.”

According to Nokia, the NSP ensures a high-quality experience for every user and application by providing tools, operating at multiple layers, to visualize, analyze and troubleshoot the network. Root causes of issues can be established and resolved quickly. Often the network can be proactively reconfigured before a problem causes service degradation, information from Nokia states.

“SDN has long been a Nokia IP core and edge router customer and, most recently, we have expanded the work to include the deployment of a next-generation Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing network based on the Nokia 1830 Photonic Service Switch platform, Mark Shlanta, CEO of SDN Communications, said. “We have a strong investment in caring for our network, and Nokia was an ideal choice to work with us to visualize, coordinate and automate our multi-layer IP and optical network through their Network Services Platform.”

Sasa Nijemcevic, the head of network automation for Nokia’s IP/optical networks business, said that in modernizing SDN’s IP and optical network, the most important requirements were to reduce operation expenditures, improve network resilience and enhance their customers’ experience. “Multilayer coordination functions allow SDN to have a deeper understanding of areas in the network that need to be addressed, resulting in improved network robustness, reduced costs and increased customer satisfaction,” he said.

Source: Nokia