SoftBank has adopted the Cisco Network Convergence System 5500 Series, providing high-density 100GE routing and Segment Routing technology for optimizing network operations for its next-generation mobile IP core network.
According to Cisco, SoftBank had been considering upgrading and expanding its existing equipment housing mobile Internet traffic, to meet demand for mobile traffic capacity forecasted to increase at a rate of 50 percent per year.
It has upgraded core routers used in its existing network to the Cisco NCS 5500 Series, capable of housing 576 100GE ports. This enables the company to build a next-generation mobile IP core network supporting bandwidth demand for the deployment of new services such as IoT and mobile video.
SoftBank has become the first company in Japan to introduce Segment Routing technology advocated by Cisco. It simplifies and optimizes the mobile IP core network and facilitates automation of network operations.
The continuity of services is essential for remaining competitive in the market. This next-generation mobile IP core network supporting high-traffic volume also needs to reduce fault recovery time and improve functions for ensuring high reliability of services in the event a fault occurs.
To meet this requirement, SoftBank adopted Segment Routing TI-LFA capability to reduce fault recovery time while also improving reliability and redundancy. This will enable the provisioning of a more reliable mobile network while delivering a better customer experience to the company’s consumer and corporate users.
Keiichi Makizono, SVP, Softbank
SoftBank keeps focusing on improving service quality and enhancing the reliability and agility of network while reducing costs. Cisco’s advanced network technologies and support have allowed us to establish the next-generation mobile IP core network platform that meets the bandwidth demand.
Yvette Kanouff, SVP, GM, Service Provider Business
Cisco’s groundbreaking cloud-scale network technologies, such as Cisco NCS 5516 and segment routing, help SoftBank build a highly-reliable, next-generation mobile IP core network featuring bandwidth capacity that supports the future mobile traffic increase with optimized low-cost operation.
