CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: CTL) says it has deployed a virtualized Broadband Network Gateway (vBNG) developed in-house based on the Central Office Re-architected as a Datacenter (CORD) design. The operator says it will use the platform to deliver broadband services to both residential and business customers as part of an effort to have full global virtualization coverage in its IP core network by the end of 2019.

CORD, an initiative between the Open Networking Lab (ON.Lab) and The Linux Foundation, seeks to bring cloud- and data center-inspired virtualization to carrier access networks (see "ON.Lab, The Linux Foundation establish CORD as formal project"). The project includes work in bringing network functions virtualization and software-defined networking to residential, enterprise, and mobile access infrastructures (see "ONOS develops open CORD reference implementation").

"Our CORD deployment is a significant milestone on our path to achieve full network virtualization," said Aamir Hussain, CenturyLink's executive vice president and chief technology officer. "This is a key component in our strategy to bring virtual network services to our customers while driving virtualization into our last-mile network, allowing us to quickly and efficiently deliver new technologies that meet our customers' rapidly changing needs."

CenturyLink says its SDN access controller is an OpenDaylight-based controller stack that integrates its legacy operations support systems (OSS) and new orchestration platforms. In addition to virtualizing its network, CenturyLink also has developed and rolled out virtualized services, including a virtual firewall, data center interconnection, and software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) for enterprise customers.

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