LTE Enterprise Dedicated Network Service, Passed 215 Certification Items
Plans to Pursue 5G Virtualization Platform Certification Acquisition
LG U+ announced on the 12th that it has acquired OVP (OPNFV Verified Program) certification for the first time among telecom operators for its Network Function Virtualization (NFV) platform, which is essential to 5G network construction.

OVP (Open Platform Verification Program) provides industry standard benchmarks for functionality and verification defined by OPNFV (Open platform for NFV), a collaborative group for developing integrated network function virtualization platforms. OPNFV issues OVP certification for virtualization platforms that pass 215 criteria including uninterrupted service during failures, automatic recovery, and rapid new service provisioning.

Until now, OVP adoption and certification have been primarily conducted by overseas equipment manufacturers, but LG U+ has successfully become the world's first telecom operator to adopt OVP and obtain certification.

The enterprise virtualization platform (LTE enterprise dedicated network service) was the certification target. The company explained that through this certification acquisition, it has secured international trust in the service and acquired industry standard-based virtualization platform verification capabilities and solutions.

In particular, LG U+ plans to share the testing capabilities and solutions secured through this certification with domestic equipment companies to contribute to fostering the domestic virtualization industry and ecosystem development. The company has equipped network facilities, servers, and automated verification tools within Magok LG Science Park to enable domestic equipment companies to directly apply and verify virtualization platforms in their operational environments.

Furthermore, LG U+ plans to apply OVP to all virtualization platforms constructed in the 5G network that will provide commercial services next year to enhance reliability assurance and service quality.

Unlike 4G, which primarily provides services centered on mobile phones, 5G delivers services through a single network to various terminals with different characteristics, including mobile phones, unmanned autonomous vehicles, transportation, and IoT, making the application of virtualization platforms essential.

Lee Sang-heon, NW Development Manager at LG U+, stated, "When 5G becomes full-scale, it can converge with new technologies such as cloud, big data, and artificial intelligence to create new value." He added, "To process more data and provide services in a timely manner, network optimization and flexible infrastructure expansion are essential, so guaranteeing quality in these areas is increasingly important."

Meanwhile, OPNFV is participated in by telecom operators including AT&T, Sprint, Orange, China Mobile, China Telecom, and KDDI, as well as some 50 companies including Cisco, Ericsson, HP, Huawei, IBM, Intel, Lenovo, NEC, Nokia, Red Hat, ZTE, Qualcomm, ETRI, and Samsung Electronics.