ADVA’s Ensemble Activator selected for TIP DCSG lab and field trials

ADVA's Ensemble Activator has been selected for disaggregated cell site gateway (DCSG) trials with several major mobile network operators (MNOs) that are members of the Telecom Infra Project (TIP) community, including Vodafone and TIM Brasil. The lab and field tests are aimed at securing a solution that conforms to TIP’s Odyssey-DCSG specifications ready for deployment in commercial mobile networks. Ensemble Activator is the first network operating system (NOS) designed for bare-metal switches that offers full carrier-grade capabilities. In combination with third-party white box hardware, it creates an open but cohesive DCSG solution and a clear route to cost-effective mass rollout of 5G services.

“Being selected for these trials is a major step for our unique carrier-grade NOS. As an essential part of TIP’s DCSG solution created in direct response to the needs of leading global MNOs, Ensemble Activator enables a seamless transition to disaggregated networking and offers a new level of efficiency, flexibility and speed,” said Stephan Rettenberger, VP, marketing and investor relations, ADVA. “By separating software from hardware and removing vendor lock-in, we’re making affordable 5G deployments a reality. With our Ensemble Activator, MNOs will be free to select from a large global ecosystem of technologies and leverage a host of new service features and network capabilities at the click of a button.“

Ensemble Activator offers customers a way to grow their mobile networks that combines the agility of software-based feature development with the performance and economics of bare-metal switches. Optimized for the operational needs of MNOs, the disaggregated NOS is built on ADVA’s vast experience equipping the largest public networks with the most advanced connectivity solutions. Its rich set of CE 2.0- and MEF 3.0-compliant network interfaces is complemented with proven IP and MPLS protocols for the first NOS with genuine carrier-class capabilities. What’s more, with its open control interfaces and telemetry streaming, Ensemble Activator is a significant step towards automated and eventually autonomous operations.

"These trials highlight the collaborative strength of the TIP community,” commented Luis MartinGarcia, co-lead, DCSG project group, TIP. “Technologies chosen for these trials met a rigorous set of criteria, including openness, scalability, compliance with time synchronization requirements, and product readiness. With ADVA’s support and integration of its Ensemble Activator, TIP’s Odyssey-DCSG solution has the potential to transform mobile infrastructure and accelerate 5G rollouts.”

“These trials underline the advantages of collaboration and openness. That’s the future of networking and it’s also what TIP is all about. By working together to ensure interoperability and by delivering real choice to customers, we’re laying the foundation for tomorrow’s mobile infrastructure,” said Ulrich Kohn, director, technical marketing, ADVA. “MNOs no longer have the luxury of waiting for their key vendor to add functionality or increase speed. In the world of 5G, they need to keep up with the pace of innovation by harnessing best-in-class technology the very moment it’s available. With our Ensemble Activator, scaling a network is now as simple as selecting a hardware component with higher capacity and installing the NOS.”