In this month's roundup of industry news, issues and updates, we feature articles about Carrier Ethernet 2.0, mobile services in Africa and software-defined network management. Enjoy!
Light Reading: MEF: CE 2.0 Certification Pipeline Filling Up — January 11th
Since its release in 2012, Carrier Ethernet 2.0 has been slow to gain popularity among communications service providers (CSPs). As of 2014, only 29 CSPs have engaged in the certification process outlined by the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF), and just over 10 others are currently in the process of obtaining it. Since Carrier Ethernet 2.0 is still fairly new, many CSPs haven't gone through this certification process yet, because they want to use equipment that is certified first in order to get a better understanding of the added benefits that Carrier Ethernet 2.0 can offer. However, with growing industry understanding, CSPs are now starting to better understand what can be gained from moving to Carrier Ethernet 2.0, such as added support for interconnection and management, as well as performance objectives for multiple classes of service (multi-CoS).
Telecoms.com: Expanding Horizons: LTE in Africa Establishes Foothold — January 13th
3G deployments in Africa didn't begin until wireless monopoly regulations were amended in the region in December 2012, following the introduction of a third operator in the region. As a result of this changing competitive environment, though many regions of the world have embraced LTE already, Africa is only just emerging in the LTE market. Thecla Mbongue, an analyst for Informa Research, reminds operators in Africa that, while prices may provide a competitive advantage to attract customers, mobile operators must remember that quality of service (QoS) will retain customers and prevent churn.
Light Reading: Analyst: SDN/NFV Succeeds or Fails on Management — January 29th
Today, network functions virtualization (NFV) and software-defined networking (SDN) are discussed a lot in the telco industry. TM Forum and the European Telecommunication Standards Institute are now creating standardized practices for the industry, but Heavy Reading Analyst Ari Banerjee warns network operators that the most important aspect of managing NFV and SDN is ensuring good quality of service (QoS) as the new initiatives will not work if customers are unhappy.
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