Verizon Network Function Virtualization Plan

Network function virtualization (NFV) is most commonly viewed as a way to reduce network equipment costs by replacing traditional purpose-built devices with software controlled general purpose hardware. But as Verizon NFV plans illustrate, the technology could have other benefits as well.

Verizon anticipates NFV providing savings in three areas – capex, opex and time to market, said Chris Emmons, Verizon director of network infrastructure planning. Verizon recently announced that it had deployed NFV across five of its US data centers. But as Emmons explained, the data center deployments are just the beginning of Verizon’s NFV plans. The company also plans to deploy NFV in its aggregation and edge networks beginning 2016. “What we announced today [was the] underlying foundation,” Emmons said. “It’s a network that...op to bottom will be programmable at every layer.” As the company deploys “similar hardware” in data centers and aggregation and edge networks, the company expects to see capex savings and efficiencies because “the same type of hardware will be deployed over and over again,” said Emmons.