Virtualization of Core: Ericsson set to transform Wind Tre network in Italy

Ericsson has been selected by Italian operator Wind Tre to virtualize its core network as part of the evolution of its network to 5G Core.

The transformation enables Wind Tre to work in a more agile way when providing services to customers using both fixed and mobile access and to improve operations. Wind Tre customers will benefit from Ericsson’s market leading core network applications and Network Functions Virtualization Infrastructure (NFVi) solution enabling fast introduction of new services and providing full service continuity.

The five-year contract gets underway during the second quarter of 2018. It includes the delivery of a self-contained project to deploy a virtualized core network and orchestration capabilities according to European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) open source NFV Management and Orchestration (MANO). On the existing physical network Ericsson is providing upgrades and capacity expansions to guarantee full interoperability with the new network.

Benoit Hanssen, Chief Technology Officer Wind Tre, says: “This is another big step in the journey that Wind Tre is making to provide the best quality network and high value services to our customers. We are transforming to be ready for the digital revolution that 5G and IoT will bring. We are pleased to partner with Ericsson on this important deal which secures a deep knowledge of the existing technology and will provide a state-of-the-art virtualized network.”

Arun Bansal, Senior Vice President, Head of Market Area Europe and Latin America, Ericsson, says: "This deal strengthens our core network business with Wind Tre to evolve its existing network and be the partner for their evolution to cloud. We will provide state-of-the-art virtual core network applications, NFV infrastructure, orchestration and end-to-end professional services enabling Wind Tre to provide great experiences to its customers and opening up IoT opportunities as we move towards 5G. This deal is the result of our joint efforts and close working relationship in previous years with both Wind and Tre.”

The contract encompasses Ericsson’s virtual EPC, virtual IMS and virtual UDC (User Data Consolidation). They will be deployed on Ericsson´s proven system verified NFVi solution which aligns with the ETSI NFV Architectural Framework and the ETSI Management and Orchestration (MANO) architecture. The solution includes Ericsson Orchestrator, the virtual infrastructure manager Ericsson Cloud Execution Environment based on OpenStack, Ericsson Cloud SDN and software-defined infrastructure based on Ericsson HDS 8000. Ericsson will also be the prime system integrator and provide support services.