https://urgentcomm.com/wp-content/themes/ucm_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Multimedia
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Galleries
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • Commentary
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • All Things IWCE
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Events
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • IWCE
    • Conference
    • Special Events
    • Exhibitor Listings
    • Premier Partners
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Register for IWCE
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookies Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • Mission Critical Technologies
    • Microwave/RF
    • T&D World
    • TU-Auto
  • In the field
    • Back
    • In the field
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Internet of Things
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Call Center/Command
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Network Tech
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Operations
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Regulations
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • Organizations
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
Urgent Communications
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Galleries
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • All Things IWCE
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Events
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • UC eZines
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • Conference
    • WHY ATTEND
    • Exhibitor Listings
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Registration Opens April 2019-Join Our Mailing List
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookies Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • TU-Auto
  • newsletter
  • In the field
    • Back
    • Internet of Things
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Cybersecurity
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
acc.com

Funding


Network virtualization promises to play a key role in FirstNet offerings, future service innovations

  • Written by Donny Jackson
  • 14th March 2018
Software-based networking advances are creating cost efficiencies and introducing flexible capabilities that let network providers like AT&T develop a service like FirstNet, which is being customized to meet first responders’ needs, according to IWCE 2018 panelists addressing the topic.

What is in this article?

  • Network virtualization promises to play a key role in FirstNet offerings, future service innovations
  • Network virtualization promises to play a key role in FirstNet offerings, future service innovations

Network virtualization promises to play a key role in FirstNet offerings, future service innovations

ORLANDO—Software-based networking advances are creating cost efficiencies and introducing flexible capabilities that let network providers like AT&T develop a service like FirstNet, which is being customized to meet first responders’ needs, according to IWCE 2018 panelists addressing the topic.

Last March, FirstNet named AT&T as its contractor to build, operate and upgrade FirstNet’s nationwide public-safety broadband network (NPSBN). AT&T has expanded the FirstNet concept from a system would operate solely on the 700 MHz Band 14 spectrum licensed to FirstNet to one that leverage Band 14 and more than 100 MHz of AT&T’s commercial airwaves, while providing public-safety users with priority and preemption across all AT&T bands.

This novel proposal means that first-responder entities can subscribe immediately to a FirstNet service that is meaningfully different from a commercial-wireless offering, instead of having to wait years—the time expected to deploy Band 14 services.

One often-overlooked reason why AT&T can implement priority, preemption and other customized public-safety services via the dedicated FirstNet LTE core—scheduled to become operational late this month—is that the telecom giant has been transforming its network from a hardware-based system to software-based technologies. In fact, 55% of AT&T’s network functions had been virtualized by the end of 2017, and the carrier plans to raise that figure to 75% in upcoming years, according to AT&T officials.

AT&T officials repeatedly have noted the tremendous operational and capital cost savings enabled through this software-based approach—leveraging technologies such as network function virtualization (NFV), software-defined networking (SDN) and virtual networking functions (VNF)—as opposed to the traditional hardware-dependent approach to carrier networks. In addition to be cost effective, decoupling the software and hardware functions within the system lets a network operator like AT&T offer more flexible, customized solutions to end users, as is the case with public-safety subscribers on FirstNet.

In fact, it is questionable whether AT&T economically could justify its current FirstNet offering without the cost savings and functional flexibility enabled by these software-centric network advances, according to Rupesh Chokshi, an assistant vice president at AT&T.

“I think it boils down to the financials, or the economics,” Chokshi said during an IWCE 2018 panel. “It would not have been very favorable, if we were trying to do [FirstNet] with old-world technology, because we would not have been able to find enough capital to make those investments, where we know the going-forward technology is going to provide so many more benefits, whether it is cost, flexibility or scale.

“I think the technology has played a very important role. The timing played a very important role, in terms of the fact that we’re at that cusp of seeing real stuff happen, and this was a great opportunity.”

Chokshi said that AT&T began exploring the possibility of using software-based networking capabilities in 2011 and 2012. By decoupling so many hardware and software functions, the carrier does not need as many specialized boxes in the network. Instead, the software-centric functions can be executed on high-powered servers—frequently referenced as “white boxes”—that are readily available and deliver tremendous computing power to networking efforts.

“The idea is to decouple software and hardware, put the software capabilities on multiple virtual machines—we used KVM [kernel-based virtual machine] hypervisors on the white boxer—and then have the ability to serve this chain of traffic that will then provide a very unique differentiation and experience,” Chokshi said.

“And, it gives you a cost savings. You go from two boxes to one, or you go from three boxes to one, and you have a lot of choice and flexibility.”

1 | 2 |
Network virtualization promises to play a key role in FirstNet offerings, future service innovations
Tags: Funding Long Term Evolution (LTE) News Public Safety Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet Security Software System Design News

Leave a comment Cancel reply

To leave a comment login with your Urgent Comms account:

Log in with your Urgent Comms account

Or alternatively provide your name, email address below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • In the 5G race to space, Lynk takes the lead against SpaceMobile
  • FCC initiates proceeding, strike force to halt 911 fee diversion
  • The benefits and challenges of IT-OT convergence

Commentary


Ransomware? Let’s call it what it really is: extortionware

21st February 2021

Redefining communications for today’s mobile workforces

18th February 2021

Hi-tech sewer can help safeguard public health, environment and economies

18th February 2021
view all

Events


UC Ezines


IWCE 2019 Wrap Up

13th May 2019
view all

Twitter


UrgentComm

California PD: ‘Game-changing’ Live911 streaming of emergency calls accelerates responses dlvr.it/RtPgXS

24th February 2021
UrgentComm

Why Tuscon is building its own 4G network dlvr.it/RtPDG5

24th February 2021
UrgentComm

SolarWinds attackers lurked for ‘several months’ in FireEye’s network dlvr.it/RtP07s

24th February 2021
UrgentComm

Buffalo’s 48 hours to navigate a mission-critical transition to remote work dlvr.it/RtNwfl

24th February 2021
UrgentComm

Digital transformation, connectivity create platform for sustainable mobility dlvr.it/RtNwYm

24th February 2021
UrgentComm

Florida SLERS renewal could wait until May as SLERS-2 procurement begins dlvr.it/RtLWGB

23rd February 2021
UrgentComm

Westell, End-to-End Public Safety BDA Solutions dlvr.it/RtKrf9

23rd February 2021
UrgentComm

Newscan: SolarWinds CEO recommends liability protections for sharing information about incidents dlvr.it/RtJwP7

23rd February 2021

Newsletter

Sign up for UrgentComm’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about Communications and Technology.

Expert Commentary

Learn from experts about the latest technology in automation, machine-learning, big data and cybersecurity.

Business Media

Find the latest videos and media from the market leaders.

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital and print audiences? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • American City & County
  • IWCE
  • Light Reading
  • IOT World Today
  • Mission Critical Technologies
  • Microwave/RF
  • T&D World
  • TU-Auto

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Events
  • Careers

FOLLOW Urgent Comms ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2021 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X