Benu Networks this month announced that its Virtual Broadband Network Gateway (vBNG) platform stands to bring new Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) and 5G Wireless Wireline Convergence (WWC) capabilities to operator and carrier networks. With this product release, the company notes that carriers are able to optimize network performance and scale, rapidly deploy SASE services to subscribers, and deliver a unified experience across fixed and mobile networks.
“Carriers need to be able to secure their networks and deploy solutions across converged networks as remote learning, work-from-home, and the rapid growth of 5G continue to expand network demands and introduce new security challenges,” asserts Ron Westfall, senior analyst and research director at Futurum Research.
Westfall adds, “Benu Network’s approach allows the BNG to become the SD-edge, integrating SASE security and 5G capabilities as championed by the topmost influential industry standard forums. By architecting its products in adherence to the standards set by BBF, 3GPP, MEF, and others, it ensures the solutions are engineered to optimize wireless and wireline convergence in simplifying disaggregated, software-defined edge environments.”
As explained by Beru Networks:
At present, most SASE offerings take an ‘outside-in’ approach, where the traffic travels out of the carrier network, through the Internet, to the SASE solution in a data center in order to be secured. In stark contrast to this method, Benu Networks software-defined SASE services run inside the carrier network, providing the industry’s only carrier-first SASE approach. Now, carriers have an unprecedented level of control and can lean into the untapped opportunity to run enterprise-class security for both remote workers and business sites/branch offices with a more efficient, streamlined security that does not open the network to the risks associated with Internet-based approaches.
Additionally, with a cloud-based infrastructure, operators can deliver higher bandwidth to more devices quickly and effectively. Cloud-native BNGs offer lower operational expenditures, ease of management and elastic scaling, providing operators with much needed flexibility and agility. The cloud-native vBNG is built on Benu Networks’ innovative SD-Edge Platform, a networking software solution that disaggregates hardware from software and control plane from user plane, enabling operators to massively reduce cost, optimize their networks for the best user experience, and scale efficiently.
The company contends that, with Benu’s support for 5G Access Gateway Function (AGF), service providers can now embrace WWC to bring the benefits of 5G-like network slicing and low-latency services to fixed networks and WiFi.
"The Benu 5G AGF is a natural evolution of the BNG, where 5G service providers can manage their fixed line subscribers with their 5G core," states Westfall. "Not only does this enable consolidated fixed and mobile billing, but more importantly, it offers the full promise of fixed mobile convergence so that the subscriber experience is consistent and seamless across home, business and 5G networks."
“Our customers are thrilled we are bringing a cloud-native solution that is not only disruptive in performance and economics, but also enables high-value security services and the option to manage their fixed network using their 5G core,” adds Mads Lillelund, CEO of Benu Networks. “With our solution, operators will have the flexibility and agility to protect customers from within their broadband networks and deliver a unified experience across fixed and mobile networks. This delivers on our commitment to help operators delight customers, drive new revenue and reduce costs.”
Benu's SD-Edge Platform globally connects over 25 Million WLAN access points and CPE gateways and to handle over 7 Petabytes of data daily. In its new release, the company notes its vBNG offers a seamless subscriber experience across fixed and mobile, packed with cloud-native SASE services like IoT management, firewall zero-trust security services, bandwidth allocation and more.
"By integrating the vBNG with the 5G Core and enabling native SASE services, operators gain flexibility from a cloud-based architecture, reduce costs, simplify IT infrastructure, increase performance and protect their customers’ network from the inside out," concludes Westfall.
For more information visit www.benunetworks.com.
