RtBrick & WOBCOM enhance European network services with EVPN
This article was published in TelcoNews on May 15, 2024. You can read the original article here.
RtBrick has reached a world-first in technology by adding support for Layer-2 Ethernet VPN (EVPN) services. This announcement follows the recent partnership with WOBCOM, a German regional ISP. Through this collaboration, WOBCOM will deliver Layer-3 broadband and Layer-2 Ethernet services to its customers via a disaggregated network edge, courtesy of RtBrick's innovations.
This development is particularly important due to the potential impact on both service providers and operators. Layer-2 EVPNs are commonly utilised in the provision of efficient, reliable next-generation services across a broad range of network use cases. The newly added support by RtBrick will provide Layer-2 VPN services for residential broadband, Layer-3 VPN, and Carrier Grade Network Address Translation (CGNAT), all from a disaggregated network edge.
The concept of network disaggregation is pivotal to this process, as it involves the separation of hardware and software typically provided within a closed, monolithic routing system. This approach can lead to lower complexity and costs, as well as greater power and space efficiencies for operators. It marks a significant shift away from the traditional packaging of network functions.
Beyond theoretical applications, this new software support has already been effectively implemented within Deutsche Telekom's production network. WOBCOM is also leveraging RtBrick’s routing software to create a disaggregated multiservice edge. This allows for delivering Ethernet business services at up to 100Gbps and residential IP services with symmetrical 1Gbps throughput from the same open hardware.
Jan Marienfeldt, Teamlead Network and Infrastructure at WOBCOM, praised the results of the technological advancement. "Using RtBrick’s routing software gives us greater flexibility and allows us to deliver high throughput to both our business and residential customers for less cost," said Marienfeldt.
Hannes Gredler, CTO and Founder at RtBrick, explains the significance of this achievement: “To satisfy the increasing demands of today’s hyper-connected consumers and enterprises, operators need to deliver multiple services from a single, disaggregated network edge.” Gredler also emphasised the role of the network edge as a vital component of an advanced telco architecture. "Now, operators can provide a multiservice edge on the same open switch, which reduces complexity and costs, and brings valuable power and space efficiencies."
In addition to his role as CTO at RtBrick, Gredler is a recognised figure in the networking industry with over 20 years of experience, having worked in multiple engineering and support roles for companies such as Alcatel (now Nokia Networks) and Juniper Networks. His contributions to the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) drafts and regular contributions to industry events and conferences underline his expertise in the field. With over 20 patents in the IP multi-protocol label switching (IP/MPLS) space, he believes that the networking industry is undergoing a significant shift towards network disaggregation.