What technological, economic, and regulatory policy implications might flow from the use of Software Defined Networks (SDN) and Network Function Virtualisation (NFV) technologies, and what are the interactions among these different dimensions? The authors explore the application of SDN/NFV technology to achieve greater flexibility as to how communication networks are used.









This publication was originally published by DigiWorld Economic Journal

Software Defined Networks (SDN) and Network Function Virtualisation (NFV) are two distinct but possibly mutually complementary technologies that might be employed, either alone or together, to achieve greater flexibility as to how communication networks are used.

The authors explore the application of SDN/NFV technology to several promising use cases: (1) virtual unbundling in a VDSL vectoring environment; (2) as a complement to 5G’s intended ability to simultaneously support multiple use cases; and (3) network sharing between mission-critical services (Public Protection and Disaster Relief (PPDR) or rail operations) and commercial mobile operations.

The authors find that the use of SDN/NFV may be especially advantageous where multiple use cases must be simultaneously supported over time, but only if complex resource management challenges can be resolved.