Legacy network modernization is critical to competitive advantage
Today, many communications service providers (CSPs) find themselves competing against a wide range of providers — not only greenfield fiber or fixed wireless network operators, but also new technologies such as low earth orbit (LEO) satellite broadband networks. With competitors all around them, CSPs need digital performance, speed and agility to maximize competitive advantage. As a result, network modernization is more important than ever.
Why network modernization?
Many existing CSPs are still operating legacy network equipment. Because this infrastructure often is nearing end-of-life, or already past it, it takes up valuable floor space, power availability and HVAC resources. Moreover, legacy equipment can be difficult to scale and complicates communication with cloud-native controllers, hindering speed, agility, and AI potential. Furthermore, outdated Element Management System (EMS) platforms often present operational challenges, as vendors may no longer support them or they may run on unsupported legacy hardware.
Legacy architecture also is costly to maintain, consuming massive amounts of power and producing excessive heat. Operation of older, inefficient equipment not only drains energy resources and budgets, but it also hinders efforts to meet sustainability goals. In fact, many state and local governments have enacted various laws intended to reduce greenhouse gas targets, and non-compliance can lead to hefty fines.
With capacity constraints, outdated technology and oversized equipment, maintaining these legacy network components significantly limits CSPs’ ability to adopt new digital technologies. A network modernization project enables the digital transformation needed to address this situation and deliver next-generation services to attract new subscribers.
Yet, how can network operators and service providers implement network modernization while minimizing costs and improving performance?
Empower efficient transformation
As they become outdated, legacy components tend to perform less efficiently and increase in security risks. And with diminished efficiency, they may exhibit diminished capacity, operating well below maximum traffic capacity with numerous ports sitting idle. This unused capacity makes it increasingly difficult to meet peak bandwidth and performance requirements, impacting customer experience, contributing to subscriber churn and resulting in higher total cost of ownership (TCO).
With network modernization, CSPs are able to tap into advanced networking solutions that enable new levels of scalability, flexibility and cloud migration with the help of increased virtualization, containerization and microservices. Likewise, this transformation also helps increase network integrity and resiliency to bolster cybersecurity, which is particularly vital in a multi-vendor architecture. By implementing EMS transformation projects, CSPs can migrate element management functions to the latest systems, streamline operations, and reduce Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).
To enable a smooth digital transformation process, it’s important to start with a comprehensive network modernization and consolidation plan. To learn more about what this entails and how to get started, read this informative article “How to Unleash Digital Transformation with Network Modernization” by John Iwata, published in Cabling Installation & Maintenance Magazine.
