On this week’s NFV/SDN Reality Check we talked with the Small Cell Forum on its recent NFV deal with ETSI and spoke with 4G Americas to get an update on the role virtualization is set to play in 4G and 5G network deployments.
The European Telecommunications Standards Institute’s NFV Industry Specification Group recently signed a collaboration agreement with the Small Cell Forum to “explore synergies” between the two organizations in working on network function virtualization technology targeting the small cell layer.
The agreement builds on the Small Cell Forum’s previously launched virtualization program announced last year and is keyed toward alignment between the two organizations and potential input from the Small Cell Forum on ETSI use-case definitions. As part of its initial announcement, the Small Cell Forum released a slideshow offering up its plans for NFV in regard to the small cell environment.
Mark Grayson, distinguished consulting engineer at Cisco and a member of the Small Cell Forum, provided RCR Wireless News with greater insight into the partnership as well as his thoughts on challenges the small cell industry will have to tackle as it embraces virtualization.
RCR Wireless News also recently spoke with Chris Pearson, president of 4G Americas, to get an update on how the trade organization and its members view the importance and evolution of virtualization. Pearson had recently returned from a Next Generation Mobile Network event in Europe where virtualization was seen as an integral part of work towards “5G” standards.