APAC Initiative Accelerates Net5.5G Deployment, Igniting New Growth for Carriers

Kan Liu, President of Data Communication Product Line, Carrier Domain, Huawei, delivering an opening speech

[Bangkok, Thailand, August 15, 2024] The Asia-Pacific (APAC) Net5.5G IP GALA, themed "Stride to Net5.5G, Ignite New Growth", concluded on a high note at the APAC ICT Summit. Co-hosted by the World Broadband Association (WBBA) and APAC IPv6 Council, this IP GALA aimed to boost the development of the Net5.5G industry and expedite Net5.5G adoption across the region. More than 80 experts from carriers, industry organizations, device vendors, and other stakeholders attended the IP GALA to discuss trending topics like Net5.5G application deployment, scenario innovation, and target network architecture. At the IP GALA, Malaysia's TIME Dotcom Bhd and China Mobile Hong Kong (CMHK) shared their best practices. Summit Bangladesh, CMHK, WBBA, APAC IPv6 Council, Network Innovation and Development Alliance (NIDA), and Huawei have joined forces to launch the Net5.5G initiative, calling on the industry to promote the development and adoption of Net5.5G for shared prosperity.

In his opening remarks, Kan Liu, President of Data Communication Product Line, Carrier Domain, Huawei, emphasized the growing momentum of the AI era, with IP network evolution now widely accepted as a necessity. Net5.5G-powered IP networks will drive industry transformation and fuel growth of the digital economy by harnessing synergies between Networks for AI and AI for Networks, ultimately boosting productivity.

In June this year, the WBBA released the first Net5.5G architecture for data communications networks. Martin Creaner, Director General of the WBBA, offered a comprehensive breakdown of this architecture. He said that global partners have jointly defined the key use cases, target network architecture, and key features of Net5.5G, and laid out a clear timeline for its evolution. He also noted that discussions surrounding R2's release were underway, with anticipation building for collaborative input from partners. Regarding regional industry development, Prof Sureswaran Ramadass, Chair of the APAC IPv6 Council, pointed out that Net5.5G will be pivotal in bridging the digital and AI eras, continuously enhancing personal experiences and driving digital transformation of industries with its cutting-edge network capabilities. Mr. Deng Yiou, Secretary-General of the NIDA, shared Chinese carriers' innovations in IPv6 B2B private networks and cloud-network-computing integration, among other groundbreaking technologies. By constantly developing novel business models and enriching B2B service offerings, these carriers have significantly enhanced their competitive edge.

APAC carriers are proactively driving network evolution. At the IP GALA, James Chin Sze Yih, Head of Core Network Operations at TIME Dotcom Bhd, introduced the transition practice from traditional MPLS to SRv6 networks, achieving network simplification and providing programmable network path capabilities based on SRv6 and Network Digital Map, flexibly offering services. Knight Wei, Lead Architect of CMHK, showcased best practices and planning for Net5.5G-oriented Computility Network, paving the way for a new era of intelligent computing.

Xu Huan, VP of Data Communication Product Line, Router Domain, Huawei, stated that the Net5.5G upgrade presents carriers with untapped opportunities across mobile, home broadband, B2B, intelligent computing, and other services. By leveraging key capabilities such as 400GE, SRv6 & slicing as a service, and Network Digital Map, carriers can build Net5.5G converged IP networks to stimulate new growth.

The IP GALA concluded with a unified call from Summit Bangladesh, CMHK, WBBA, APAC IPv6 Council, NIDA, and Huawei to accelerate Net5.5G evolution and development in the APAC region, speed up the commercial deployment of next-generation networks, foster industry prosperity, and drive new growth for carriers.