Leading Japanese companies, including Fujitsu, Hitachi, NEC, NTT Communications and NTT, announced the launch of the “Open Innovation over Network Platforms” research and development (R&D) project, also known as the “O3 Project”.
The project, which is supported by Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, aims to develop network virtualization technology that enables multiple telecommunications carriers and service providers who share network resources to design and construct networks and manage their operations freely to suit their needs.
Specifically, a common SDN layer will be developed to integrate a multilayer infrastructure consisting of optical, wireless and packet communications platforms. Compared to existing SDN architectures, the O3 Project targets a common, multi-carrier framework that would enable any Service Providers to share resources.
Development goals include:
1) Network management and control platform software
2) Software for network design, construction and operation management
3) Technology for developing virtualization compatible network devices — this includes the interfaces and drivers that enable use of low-cost, high-performance resources through all layers.
The work will be divided as follows:
NEC: Development of network management and control platforms, making wireless communications systems compatible with SDN (1-3 in the above)
NTT: Making software communications devices compatible with SDN (3 in the above)
NTT Com: Creating the guidelines for design, construction and operation of SDN (1 in the above)
Fujitsu: Making optical communications systems compatible with SDN (1-3 in the above)
Hitachi: Making packet transport systems compatible with SDN (1-3 in the above)
Some of the applications being discussed for the testbed network include Big Data, 8K HD video broadcasting and global enterprise intranets. Over the next three years, the partners plan to develop prototypes and to conduct verification testing of the network virtualization technology.
