Tech Mahindra announced that it has been working with Telefonica Germany to digitally transform its microwave network with open software defined networking (SDN).
Telefonica is working to standardise its management interface by collaborating with multiple vendors and partners. Tech Mahindra is helping Telefonica achieve this by bringing its domain expertise and continuous integration capabilities to the partnership.

Tech Mahindra has been working with the telco to implement new standards for its DevOps model including enhancing its processes and requirements. This includes the continuous management support of service operations for the organization’s overall SDN Architectures.

The project involves the deployment of microwave transmission automation aimed at elevating service delivery and network operations. All microwave devices in Telefonica Germany’s mobile backhaul network are accessible via a single harmonized Network API which supports an open microservice framework.

Telefonica has integrated 30,000 microwave links from vendors into the OpenDaylight Controller using ONF TR-532 interface standard.

“This reflects Tech Mahindra’s commitment to invest in open source technologies to accelerate scaling out networks. The move to SDN will enable Telefonica to adopt automation functionality in the future more easily,” Vikram Nair, President, EMEA Business at Tech Mahindra, said.

Telefonica Deutschland’s O2 brand has for more than 45 million connections including M2M as of 30 September 2021. The company generated revenues of EUR 7.5 billion in the 2020 fiscal year with almost 8,200 employees.

“Software-based approaches such as SDN are helping us to reduce the complexity of our network architectures and to drive our network expansion even faster and with higher quality through a greater degree of automation,” says Mallik Rao, Chief Technology & Information Officer at Telefonica Deutschland.