Telecom network operator VimpelCom today said it will make investment to build a virtual network infrastructure providing 4G, 3G and 2G mobile data services to customers across five markets in 2016.
VimpelCom has selected ZTE to build the new virtual network infrastructure. ZTE has bagged the virtual network deal from VimpelCom competing with Huawei, Ericsson and Nokia.
VimpelCom will deploy ZTE’s virtual Evolved Packet Core (vEPC) network in Kyrgyzstan and Laos in February 2016.
VimpelCom plans to introduce the virtualized network in Uzbekistan, Armenia, and Tajikistan during the course of 2016. With virtualization, the networks in the five VimpelCom markets will move from a legacy-heavy network made up of separate network elements to a common software-driven, lean infrastructure.
Yogesh Malik, group chief technology officer at VimpelCom said: “Investing in innovative solutions to reinvent our network is high on the agenda as we transform into the digital operator of the future. We are convinced that virtualization represents the new way forward for the industry.”
Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) in the core network enables effective resource utilization and flexible maintenance for operators, and allows more flexibility in new network functions and product introductions, resulting in a seamless experience for VimpelCom customers.
