Service providers have historically relied on dedicated hardware to deliver their cloud-based functions. But software-defined networking (SDN) and network functions virtualization (NFV) are freeing up carriers to use virtualized appliances or less expensive hardware to deliver the same services. As such, most service providers — 100 percent, to be exact — say they have plans to inject NFV into their networks, if they haven’t already, according to a recent report from market research firm IHS Markit.
The opportunities around virtualization are far-reaching for service providers and it’s trickling down to their partners and end customers. Here’s a few of the carriers that are aggressively investing in, and evolving their networks with the help of, SDN and NFV technology.
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