In the era of digital transformation, networks are evolving and changing rapidly. A concept that has revolutionized the way networks are built today and can help your organization drastically improve its network performance is Network Disaggregation. As a result, network disaggregation has become the new normal.

What is network disaggregation, and why are companies so interested in it?

At its core, Network Disaggregation is the separation of networking equipment into functional components and allowing each component to be individually deployed. Network Disaggregation opens the traditional proprietary network design architecture at two different levels:

  1. At the network level – By transforming the network design using disaggregated devices to provide scalability, manageability, and agility.
  2. At the device level – By altering the network device design to promote reusability, adopting best-of-breed technology, and open ecosystems.

Open Network Operating System (NOS)

Open Network Operating System (NOS)Open Network Operating System (NOS) Software Platform is the key to network disaggregation. The Open NOS platform can support an extensive range of white-box hardware platforms from numerous ODMs and a broad range of use cases.

The architecture of Open NOS platforms includes abstraction layers that make it simple for them to interact with best-in-class technologies, such as network silicon, modular interface transceivers, and white box hardware platforms with a variety of capacities. Open NOS systems are used by network devices, which enable automation and manageability by providing standard management interfaces and open APIs, thereby lowering operational costs. Operators are free to combine and match technologies to accomplish their own goals, in contrast to proprietary designs, which are sometimes burdened by huge technology debts.

Hence, with Network Disaggregation, the software and hardware components are decoupled, making them easier to swap and replace. This offers a much less costly alternative- a common platform- capable of assuming a distinct profile depending on where it is deployed. The result is fewer fixed-function devices and a lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).

In other words, network disaggregation can also be termed network hardware and software disaggregation.

Disaggregated Devices and White-Box Hardware Platforms

Disaggregation of the network lets the network operators achieve unprecedented agility and choice and leaves room for innovation while significantly driving down the overall cost of the network. Moreover, the adoption of network disaggregation principles allows network operators to regain control of their networks from incumbent vendors who have dominated the industry for decades. This enables them to select the best combination of individual hardware and software components for building best-of-breed solutions, including silicon, white boxes, and software while eliminating vendor lock-in and anticompetitive sales and support practices.

What are the disadvantages of the traditional single or dual-vendor settings?

Numerous operators justify their single- (or dual-) vendor settings with familiarity with the network construction and accessibility to the operations & maintenance support provided by the vendor. But these benefits come at a high cost. Not only are the list prices of their products far higher than the Open-Source alternatives, but highly proprietary and guarded platforms also restrict agility and access to sought capabilities, frequently necessitating expensive upgrades and restricting access to cutting-edge technologies. Patent-protected architectures have raised costs dramatically, limiting access to necessary features and hampering innovation.

Benefits of Disaggregated Network

  • Lower R&D cost to develop Enterprise Grade Wi-Fi Solutions

    Cloud software OEMs and hardware ODMs can reduce their R&D expense by building their solutions on top of OpenWiFi’s robust, single codebase of standard Wi-Fi “plumbing.” Moreover, OpenWiFi’s advanced feature set, including Wi-Fi 6, Passpoint, and OpenRoaming® capabilities, will enable existing and new suppliers to offer Enterprise-grade Access solutions with less development effort.

  • Accelerated Innovation

    OpenWiFi’s common control, data, & management layers allow service providers to control the pace of innovation as per their needs and focus their development and integration efforts on innovation rather than inventing Wi-Fi “plumbing.” The cloud controller SDK offers open north-bound APIs, so over-the-top Wi-Fi applications can be integrated once and then utilized with multiple vendor solutions, saving integration costs and speeding up time to market.

  • Choice of Vendor selection and access to Open Ecosystem

    Instead of relying on a single vendor for their network products, OpenWiFi’s diverse multi-vendor selection of cloud controllers and access points brings network operators choice and flexibility and a wide range of alternatives to choose from that may be readily integrated through open interfaces.

  • Favorable economics for Service Providers and Enterprises

    OpenWiFi’s combination of deployment savings in terms of capital expenditures (CAPEX) and automation-driven operational savings (OPEX) brings a significant reduction in Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) over current proprietary solutions.

  • Business continuity

    To ensure business continuity, Operators may readily swap not only components but vendors as well to mitigate exposure to disruptions in the supply chain.

Augmenting the disaggregated network with IO by HFCL

IO by HFCL has established itself as one of the major suppliers in the Indian Wi-Fi space in no time. We were quick to realize the true potential of network disaggregation in its early stages. Embracing the Telecom Infra Project’s (TIP) OpenWiFi initiative, IO has already deployed its OpenWiFi compliant Access Points in several remote villages in India and Africa under one of the most ambitious large-scale open public hotspot projects in the history of India, the PM-WANI project. This project envisions providing speedy internet access to all parts of the country, no matter how remote. The critical factor in cutting down the cost of deployment for IO here has been the disaggregation of the software component of Wi-Fi technology. Adopting open-source software eliminates the cost of maintaining the product and motivates new players to join the community, strengthening and sustaining it. With Network Disaggregation at its core and being the world’s first company to launch Open-Source Wi-Fi 7 Access Points and with a strong portfolio of OpenWiFi compliant Wi-Fi 6 Access Points, IO plans to be a frontrunner in fostering innovation, developing new products, and strengthening the Open-Source community further.