7 Layers Podcast: 5G, Broadband Drive Metro Ethernet Evolution

Demand for broadband connectivity continues to surge as the workforce and broader population in general adapt to a post-pandemic world. High-speed connection needs are no longer confined to large office buildings but are now needed across urban and rural areas. This has led to a push for more robust wired and wireless connectivity options that require even more robust backhaul capabilities. A recent report from Dell’Oro Group found the global broadband access equipment market surged 12% year-over-year during the second quarter, hitting $4.5 billion in revenues. SDxCentral recently spoke with Brendan Gibbs, SVP of automated WAN solutions at Juniper Networks, to get his insight into how the metro Ethernet market is evolving and where he sees market opportunities. The vendor itself expects metro Ethernet traffic will increase by more than 500% over the next several years as telecom operators boost their 5G network deployments and cloud providers continue to expand the reach of their data centers. Juniper recently fleshed out its Cloud Metro strategy, combining automation and artificial intelligence (AI) into a managed offering targeted at service providers battling increased data consumption from their 5G and edge deployments. The updates include Juniper moving its Paragon Automation software suite into a cloud-based, as-a-service product. Juniper launched Paragon Automation early last year, tapping into its Netrounds acquisition to provide vendor-agnostic software that monitors network services, automation, and resiliency testing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices