Poll: NFV Will Be Massive

Is network functions virtualization (NFV) going to have a significant impact on the communications networking industry and become a feature of telco networks, or is it a lab experiment that has gotten out of hand?

Well, we'll know for sure in 10 years' time, but there's certainly a lot of optimism that NFV can deliver operational and financial benefits according to the results of our reader poll. (See: Is NFV Just Wishful Thinking? )

Currently, 338 readers have responded to the question "Will network functions virtualization (NFV) make it into telco networks or is it just a lab experiment that has got out of hand?"

Of those, nearly 53 percent voted that "It's going to have a massive impact on costs and efficiencies -- it's a game-changer."

But there is still skepticism. About 28 percent voted in favor of "It's great in isolation but too hard to deploy in production networks," while nearly 14 percent chose the option "NFV won't get out of the test lab -- it's all hype."

Just 6 percent hadn't been caught up in the NFV hype and voted for "NF what?"

NFV is turning into one of the biggest debates in the telco sector in years, and there is plenty of support and momentum from major operators to virtualize network functions, and reduce the number of bespoke network elements that need to be deployed and maintained.

For more on NFV:

— Ray Le Maistre, Editor-in-Chief, Light Reading