VIAVI and Broadcom Expand RIC Testbed as a Service to Advance Digital Twin Environments
- Enhanced capabilities of TBaaS with VMware for network evaluation and performance benchmarking.
- Validation at i14y Lab highlights expanding industry demand for faster deployment and agility.
- Digital Twin modeling based on AI emerges as a crucial solution for complex networks.
- TBaaS provides a cloud-based Digital Twin for communication service providers to streamline evaluation, deployment, and secure operations of network applications.
- Collaboration with Broadcom enables an innovative approach in RIC App development, test automation, and benchmarking.
- Complementary portfolios of VIAVI and VMware aim to transform and accelerate new network capabilities.
- VIAVI plays a leading role in defining test processes in O-RAN ALLIANCE and Telecom Infra Project (TIP).
- None.
Insights
The recent collaboration between VIAVI Solutions Inc. and VMware, now under Broadcom's umbrella, signifies a strategic advancement in the realm of network testing and optimization. The development of a Testbed as a Service (TBaaS), which integrates VIAVI's TeraVM RIC Test with VMware's RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC), represents a significant leap in the application of Digital Twin technology within telecommunications.
Digital Twins are virtual replicas of physical systems that enable simulation, analysis and control. In this context, the TBaaS will allow communication service providers (CSPs) to simulate and benchmark the performance of RAN applications (rApps and xApps) in a cloud-based environment, thereby enhancing their ability to manage network complexities and disruptions. The use of geolocation intelligence and real RAN data for simulations is particularly noteworthy as it provides a more accurate and efficient means for CSPs to evaluate applications without the need for extensive real-world data collection.
Furthermore, the RAN Scenario Generator is an innovative tool that will assist developers and operators in modeling network scenarios within a controlled lab setting. This is crucial for testing network behavior and preparing for potential issues before they occur in live environments. The ability to use captured data for AI/ML model training is an added benefit, as it will likely improve the predictive capabilities of network management systems.
From a market perspective, the collaboration between VIAVI, VMware and Broadcom signals a growing industry demand for advanced network testing and automation services. The validation of TBaaS with multiple app vendors and consortiums, including the i14y Lab, indicates a broadening acceptance and potential market for such services. This is particularly relevant as the industry shifts towards Open RAN architectures, which require a more diverse and interoperable ecosystem of network components and applications.
The showcasing of these capabilities at the Mobile World Congress is a strategic move to capture the attention of potential customers and partners in the telecom industry. As VIAVI boasts a comprehensive portfolio of Open RAN test solutions and plays a pivotal role in defining test processes within industry consortia like the O-RAN ALLIANCE and Telecom Infra Project (TIP), its partnership with VMware and Broadcom could enhance its market position and drive further innovation in the sector.
For investors and stakeholders, the emphasis on network modernization and monetization initiatives as a result of this partnership could translate into enhanced revenue streams and competitive advantages for the companies involved. The focus on test automation and benchmarking is likely to resonate with CSPs looking to streamline operations and reduce time-to-market for new services.
The strategic partnership and technological advancements announced by VIAVI Solutions Inc. could have a tangible impact on the company's financial performance. The ability to offer TBaaS in collaboration with VMware and Broadcom enhances VIAVI's service offerings, potentially leading to new revenue opportunities and strengthening its position in the network testing market.
Investors should consider the prospects of increased efficiency and reduced costs for CSPs as a result of this service. The digital twin technology enables CSPs to conduct thorough testing and optimization without the need for extensive physical trials, which could lead to cost savings and improved network reliability. These factors could contribute to an increased demand for VIAVI's services, potentially impacting the company's bottom line positively.
It is also important to monitor the adoption rate of the TBaaS among CSPs and the extent to which this technology becomes a standard in the industry. The long-term financial implications for VIAVI will hinge on the company's ability to maintain a competitive edge and to continue innovating in a rapidly evolving telecommunications landscape.
Digital Twin modeling, based on AI and enabling new predictive capabilities, is fast emerging as a vital solution to fortify increasingly complex networks. By creating a virtual model of a network in the lab, service providers can more quickly and effectively model network behaviors and disruptions. TBaaS provides a cloud-based Digital Twin via a set of tools that enable communication service providers (CSPs) to streamline evaluation of rApps and xApps prior to selection of partners, continuous CI/CD efforts, deployment, and secure operations in the network.
With TBaaS from VIAVI and VMware, RIC applications address the need for simulations using realistic data. VIAVI provides geolocation intelligence and xApps/rApps, with real RAN data over the VMware RIC platform. This allows a CSP to capture information once and emulate it with multiple other applications, reducing the overhead of repeatedly capturing, processing and transmitting data. In addition, the RAN Scenario Generator within the TeraVM RIC Test allows developers and operators to model scenarios in the lab, either prior to launch or in environments where large volumes of real data are unavailable. Data captured can also be used for training AI/ML models.
"We're collaborating with VIAVI to make sure that CSPs can benefit in many ways from the power of test automation and enablement," said Lakshmi Mandyam, Vice President, Product Management and Partner Ecosystems, Software-Defined Edge Division, Broadcom. "By integrating the VMware RIC with VIAVI's TeraVM RIC Test solution and making it available as a service, we are enabling an entirely new approach in RIC App development, CI/CD test automation and benchmarking. Our combined efforts help to speed CSPs network modernization and monetization initiatives."
"We are very pleased to continue and advance our partnership with VMware, and now Broadcom, a partner that shares with VIAVI a heritage of decades of innovation, collaboration and engineering excellence," said Ian Langley, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Wireless Business, VIAVI. "Our complementary portfolios are focused on demystifying the complex environments associated with Digital Twin, and together they provide a vast array of benefits that will help transform and accelerate new network capabilities."
VMware is focused on attracting and collaborating with a vibrant ecosystem of partners to help its operator customers adopt Open RAN with complete confidence with its VMware Telco Cloud Platform and VMware Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) framework for network programmability and optimization. VIAVI has the most comprehensive portfolio of Open RAN test solutions in the industry and plays a leading role in defining test processes in the O-RAN ALLIANCE and Telecom Infra Project (TIP).
About VIAVI
VIAVI (NASDAQ: VIAV) is a global provider of network test, monitoring and assurance solutions for telecommunications, cloud, enterprises, first responders, military, aerospace and railway. VIAVI is also a leader in light management technologies for 3D sensing, anti-counterfeiting, consumer electronics, industrial, automotive, government and aerospace applications. Learn more about VIAVI at www.viavisolutions.com. Follow us on VIAVI Perspectives, LinkedIn and YouTube.
VIAVI Media Inquiries:
Sonus PR Martin Smith viavi@sonuspr.com | Sonus PR Chevaan Seresinhe viavi@sonuspr.com | Voila Communications Manish Sharma manish@voilacomm.in |
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SOURCE VIAVI Solutions
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