Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Vodafone buys ONO; TeliaSonera faces US probe into Uzbek unit; Orange 4G roaming extended.
Telefónica SA (NYSE: TEF) has undertaken an SDN test whereby optical and IP network elements were configured and managed using an SDN controller -- plus GMPLS (Generalized Multiprotocol Label Switching) and PCEP (Path Computation Element Protocol) tools -- supplied by Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. . The test included including multi-layer restoration and the creation of multi-domain Label Switched Paths (LSPs). It's also worth noting that the optical and IP equipment used in the test were also from the Chinese vendor, so this was not a multivendor test. This, though, will be just one step on Telefónica's path towards a network that incorporates SDN and NFV capabilities in the coming years, as laid out in its recently-unveiled next-generation network strategy. Huawei, meanwhile, is just one of many vendors looking to prove their worth in providing tools that can enable centralized control and virtualization that will make wide area communications networks more flexible and more responsive to immediate customer requirements. (See Telefónica Tests Optical/IP SDN With Huawei, Telefónica Unveils Aggressive NFV Plans, One Form of Energy Isn't Sufficient, and Defining SDN & NFV.)
"Defining Transport SDN" is one of a number of key topics that will feature at Light Reading's Big Telecom Event (BTE), June 17/18 at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers.
Vodafone Group plc (NYSE: VOD) has agreed to buy Spanish cable operator ONO for €7.2 billion (US$10 billion), ending weeks of speculation that centered on whether ONO would go down the sale or IPO route. ONO has 1.9 million customers for its broadband and pay-TV services located in 13 of Spain's 17 regions. (See Euronews: Vodafone Homes In On ONO and Euronews: ONO Snubs Vodafone, Opts for IPO.)
Orange (NYSE: FTE) is extending its 4G roaming to six new countries -- Belgium, Canada, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and Switzerland -- taking the total number of nations covered by the service to 11.
Virgin Mobile Middle East & Africa (VMMEA), part-owned by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Mobile Telecoms Ltd. , is planning to launch mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) services in Saudi Arabia in the first half of this year, reports Reuters. VMNEA was one of three winning bidders for an MVNO license.
The European Commission has welcomed the news that the US authorities are opening up governance of the Internet by moving "out of the IANA [Internet Assigned Numbers Authority] function." Until now the US has had the final say in changes to globally used data on top-level Internet domain names, such as .com or .de, but the Commission believes the stage has now been set for future governance carried out on a "multi-stakeholder" basis. For more details and comment, see this Commission statement.
— Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading
Want to learn more about SDN and the transport network? Check out the agenda for Light Reading's Big Telecom Event (BTE), which will take place on June 17 and 18 at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers. The event combines the educational power of interactive conference sessions devised and hosted by Heavy Reading's experienced industry analysts with multi-vendor interoperability and proof-of-concept networking and application showcases. For more on the event, the topics, and the stellar service provider speaker lineup, see Telecommunication Luminaries to Discuss the Hottest Industry Trends at Light Reading's Big Telecom Event in June.
A CSP's digital transformation involves so much more than technology. Crucial – and often most challenging – is the cultural transformation that goes along with it. As Sigma's Chief Technology Officer, Catherine Michel has extensive experience with technology as she leads the company's entire product portfolio and strategy. But she's also no stranger to merging technology and culture, having taken a company — Tribold — from inception to acquisition (by Sigma in 2013), and she continues to advise service providers on how to drive their own transformations. This impressive female leader and vocal advocate for other women in the industry will join Women in Comms for a live radio show to discuss all things digital transformation, including the cultural transformation that goes along with it.
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