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Vodafone, Telefonica, Orange, TIM Brasil define the spec, ADVA, Edgecore start work on the design
A group of major operators and vendors on Tuesday backed the Telecom Infra Project’s (TIP’s) disaggregated cell site gateway (DCSG), which promises to lower the cost and improve the efficiency of mobile network deployments.
Vodafone, Telefonica, Orange and TIM Brasil have completed the specification for the new gateway, and ADVA and Edgecore Networks have committed to developing the first product based on said specification. Called Odyssey-DCSG, it is expected to be commercially available by the third quarter of 2019.
DCSG gives operators the ability to deploy an open, interoperable, supplier-neutral cell site router, making it quicker and cheaper to upgrade existing sites and roll out new ones at scale. This is important to operators because it enables them to accommodate the mass rollout of 5G services.
"What we’re announcing today will give mobile network operators a simple and complete solution to a key problem with their 5G rollouts: How do they cost-effectively deploy hundreds of thousands of cell site gateways to meet 5G traffic demands?" said Niall Robinson, VP, global business development, ADVA, in a statement. "We’re helping to steer the DCSG group forward and rapidly bring a solution to market that answers a very real problem for operators across the globe."
The announcement coincided with Facebook-backed TIP’s third-annual TIP Summit, underway in London this week. TIP’s aim is to spur the development of new technology and products that lower barriers to network deployment and, by extension, Internet uptake. More people connected to the Internet equals more potential Facebook users.
"What we’re developing with the team at ADVA has the potential to dramatically change the whole nature of cell site gateways," said Luis MartinGarcia, co-chair, DCSG project group, TIP, and manager, network technologies, Facebook. "By moving away from a closed proprietary system to an open, disaggregated and vendor-neutral infrastructure, mobile network operators have a genuine opportunity to increase network efficiencies."
