BT has announced plans to trial a software-defined network (SDN) architecture as part of a next generation broadcast network.
The telco is demonstrating how multiple HD uncompressed video flows can be transported across a SDN through to a production studio via high-bandwidth network pipes. It can be seen at BT’s Innovation Week on BT’s Labs at Adastral Park, Ipswich (June 12 – 16).
BT is using equipment and software provided by Nevion and Cisco for this specific piece of research. Nevion’s media nodes encapsulate raw video into the desired format before transmitting it over the IP network which is built using Cisco switches.
Mark Wilson-Dunn, vice president of BT Media & Broadcast, said: “This is a really exciting development for our researchers, as we continuously look to innovate and upgrade our broadcast networks, which carry footage all over the world. We’re keen to explore how a broadcast infrastructure based on true SDN and related technologies could potentially allow us to build a brand new next generation and multi-tenanted global network in the future in the same way as we led the way on MPLS and IP based media networks previously. This is the first step towards that and I’m pleased that we can continue to lead the industry on this.”
The core SDN technology is provided by Cisco, with Nevion’s VideoIPath software providing the SDN management and orchestration.
Peter Karlstromer, Senior Vice President, Global Service Provider, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Russia, Cisco, said: “BT and Cisco have been working closely together for a number of years to develop innovative software-defined solutions that bring unprecedented flexibility to telecom services, including how broadcast content is distributed and shared. This ground-breaking technology offers a host of benefits, including the ability for BT to automate processes to capture, edit and distribute live footage faster and more efficiently than ever before.”
BT’s Broadcast division is delivering a state of the art network to the BBC, in a seven-year contract worth more than £100 million. It will allow the BBC to develop more data hungry formats including Ultra HD and 360 degree content.
BT has also successfully provided the UK’s first uncompressed video contribution network connecting all 20 Premier League football stadiums in a three year deal with the League’s international broadcasting outlet, Premier League Productions.
