• Edge computing – lower latency requirements
driving compute needs closer to the network’s edge.
• Network simplification for lower cost.
A major initiative in this area is central office
re-architected as a datacenter (CORD). According to the
Open Networking Foundation, CORD hardware architecture
is based on “commodity servers interconnected by
a fabric of white-box switches; switching fabric in a spineleaf
topology for optimized east-west traffic; specialized
access hardware for connecting subscribers (residential,
mobile and/or enterprise).” In other words, a cloud data
center for subscribers (Figure 9).17
Mobile WAN
Access
MARKET GROWTH
The global market is expected
to grow at a CGAR of over 19%
during the forecast period.
54 I ICT TODAY
Telecommunications service providers have different
initiatives for transforming their central offices to data
centers. They are still in the early stages, but the market
potential is significant. The data centers being built
inside central offices are optimally sized to take
advantage of the cost and power advantages
of MMF/VCSEL solutions.
Edge Data Centers: The EDC market is growing
rapidly, as the internet of things (IoT) adds an exponentially
growing number of devices needed to support
local machine learning, analytics/AI, mobile data, and
applications requiring low latency (Figure 10).18
CORD Virtualized Central Office
Global Edge Data Center Market 2018-2022
KEY TREND
Increasing adoption of IoT.
FIGURE 10: Global EDC market, 2018-2022. Source: Technavio.
KEY DRIVER
Increase in the use
of mobile data.
FIGURE 9: CORD virtualized central office.
Cord Controller (XOS)
Mobile
Subscribers
Shared Server Resources ROADM (Core)
Enterprise
Access
Residential
Access
Enterprise Residential