Various software-based routing functions can be implemented.
Creates a router with the same functionality in the event of a failure, ensuring equipment operational stability.

LG Uplus is accelerating preparations for the evolution to a 5G network.

LG Uplus announced on the 31st that it has commercialized the first carrier-grade NFV (Network Function Virtualization) based router in Korea in cooperation with global network equipment company Juniper Networks and network virtualization solution company Wind River.

Carrier grade represents the highest level of equipment, which is extremely proven, with communication equipment or components having stable availability of over 99.999% and a failure rate of less than one in a million.

A router is a core communication device that serves the role of establishing paths to transmit information in communication networks operating on different protocols. By software-izing this router function and implementing it on a server, NFV routers can dramatically increase network flexibility, such as by allowing the creation of additional virtual routers with just a few clicks.

NFV routers are recognized as an essential technology for transitioning to 5G networks because they are cheaper than existing equipment, require lower investment and operating costs, and enable the implementation of various software-based functions.

However, because NFV routers had not yet met the standards required by telecommunications operators in terms of stability or technical reliability, they could not be applied to actual commercial networks and most remained at the research and development level. LG Uplus has successfully commercialized a carrier-grade NFV-based virtual router for the first time in Korea by overcoming the limitations of existing technology through the joint development of new technology with Juniper Networks and Wind River that significantly improves stability.

LG Uplus’s NFV router detects a failure on its own and automatically creates a virtual router with the same functionality to resolve the issue. In particular, since the process from failure detection to the creation of a router with the same functionality is completed within 1 to 2 seconds, it is possible to ensure a high level of stability without service interruption.

In addition, it is equipped with Auto Healing Network technology that prevents failures by taking autonomous measures before they occur if conditions prone to failure (such as CPU/memory overload) are configured. This technology, which could not be implemented in existing routers, demonstrates technological reliability that differentiates it from conventional equipment by enabling the device to prevent failures in advance.

NFV routers provide the same operating environment, functions, and interfaces as existing routers, allowing them to be immediately applied to existing service networks and making operation easy.

By applying this NFV router to its commercial network, LG Uplus has been able to realize an optimal NFV infrastructure with carrier-grade stability. Based on this infrastructure, the company plans to prepare for the evolution to a 5G network in stages.

LG Uplus has prioritized the application of virtual routers to services such as providing IPv6 service routing information and blocking attack traffic like hacking and DDoS. Starting with this, they announced plans to gradually expand the scope of application and sequentially implement it on other routers that require a high level of flexibility.

"By applying carrier-grade NFV-based routers to a commercial network for the first time in Korea, we have not only improved existing routing performance but also become able to provide more stable and diverse services to our customers," said Kang Jung-ho, Head of Network Technology at LG Uplus. "Building on this foundation, we will gradually introduce NFV equipment and lead the market with the optimal NFV infrastructure that accelerates the 5G era."