IP Edge Routers: Competitive Landscape Assessment

Glen Hunt | July 18, 2023

Product Class Scorecard

Cisco ASR 9000 Series

Juniper MX 3D Series

Nokia 7750 SR and VSR Portfolio

ZTE IP Edge Router Portfolio

Huawei NetEngine 8000

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Virtual Router Architecture and Capabilities Interfaces and Port Density

Service & Support Capabilities System Performance and Architecture

Management and Control Capabilities Supported Services

Market Overview
Product Class Next-Generation IP Edge Routers

Market Definition The IP edge router product class includes high-end routers, where
vendors continue to make substantial investments, and which
usually takes the form of custom silicon to deliver greater
performance, support programmability, and reduce the amount of
power consumed per bit of traffic transmitted (e.g., Huawei's Solar
5, Juniper's Trio 6, Nokia's FP5, and ZTE's SSP4 chipsets).
The massive growth in edge capacity continues to require high-
scale data plane performance and be capable of hosting or
coordinating network functionality beyond basic forwarding
functions. Custom silicon, in addition to providing high performance,
also provides embedded functions, such as telemetry, encryption,
and security at line rate.

Pluggable coherent optics have emerged which enables high

density 100G, 200G, and 400G interfaces, with 800G beginning to
appear.
Multiple vendors supply software-based virtual router solutions
where functionality is being deployed as a virtual network function
(VNF) with the same carrier-grade attributes as its physical
counterpart.
Rated Competitors • Cisco
• Huawei
• Juniper
• Nokia
• ZTE

Additional Competitors • Ciena

• Infinera
• Ribbon

Changes Since Last Update Cisco:

• June 2023: Cisco’s latest software release, IOS XR Release 7.9.2, is
a maintenance release for Cisco ASR 9000 Series routers. There are
no new software features or hardware introduced in its latest
release.
• June 2023: Cisco’s Crosswork Network Automation platform
provides full-service lifecycle support with automation and multi-
vendor interoperability, helping CSPs to better plan and manage
complex 5G network transformations.
Huawei:
• April 2023: EANTC published the results of the SRv6 multi-vendor
interoperability test, Huawei participated in SRv6 test cases
covering all scenarios, including basic routing protocols, SRv6
Policy, header compression, reliability, and OAM, all SRv6 application
scenarios have been fully verified.
• February 2023: At MWC 2023, Huawei updated its NetEngine 8000
F8 router for edge applications, which includes (1) switching
capacity upgrades to 6.4T, laying claim to the industry's highest-
density 10GE/GE aggregation router, (2) all-service in one router and
(3) a green design, eco-friendly router which reduces power
consumption by 40%.
• February 2023: At MWC 2023, Huawei launched the Digital
Managed Network Solution and products for carriers' B2B services,
which includes (1) Private Line Upgrades (the industry's first tenant-
level network slicing, the industry's first digital network map), (2)
Private Line + Managed LAN, (3) Private Line + Managed WAN, (4)
Private Line + Managed Security, and (5) Private Line + Managed
DCN.

Juniper:
• November 2022: Juniper announced it powered SuperComputing
2022 (SC22) and demonstrated its MX304 Compact Multi-Service
Edge Router and MX10004 Multi-Service Edge Router, among other
products and solutions, both routers are powered by Juniper’s latest
Trio 6 ASIC.
• June 2022: Juniper announced that XL Axiata, (Indonesia), will
implement segment routing over IPv6 (SRv6) and MX Series
Universal Routing Platforms to enhance its existing network
infrastructure. XL Axiata will have a stronger networking foundation
to support the growing demand for 5G services and Indonesia’s
digital economy.
 Nokia:
• June 2023: Nokia delivers its FP5-based 800GE routing solution,
which enables a three-fold capacity increase while driving down
power consumption by 75% over previous versions. Nokia notes it
has been shipping 800GE routing utilizing 112G SERDES in volume
since 2022.
• June 2022: Nokia’s FP5 market momentum continues (as of the
writing of this report) noting more than 50 FP5 customer wins.
Public references include BT (UK), DE-CIX (Germany), NTT DoCoMo
(Japan), Etisalat (UAE), Hyperoptic, Net plus (India), NL-IX
(Netherlands), OpenColo (US), Stealth (US), Telecentro (Argentina),
TDCnet (Denmark) and Vodafone Ziggo (Netherlands).
• June 2022: Nokia expanded its 7750 SR-S FP5-based line card
options to deliver scalability and flexibility to manage traffic growth.
The expansion includes 3 Tbps FD and 6 Tbps FD input-output
modules, and multiple 100G- 800G port card options.
• June 2023: Nokia expanded the breadth of system options, with a
compact 7750 SR-2se, supporting two slots at 6 Tbps FD each and
with intelligent aggregation up to 38.4 Tbs.

ZTE:
• 2022: ZTE released its 7.22T NP Chipset SSP4 based on 5nm
technology, which enables support for 1 Tbps and 800GE ports for
its M6000-SE intelligent router portfolio.
• November 2022: ZTE announced that it has obtained the second
largest share in China Unicom’s intelligent metropolitan area
network (MAN) equipment centralized procurement for 2022.

Market Assessment
Products and solutions included in the IP edge router product assessments deliver performance and scale required to support the
services edge of the service provider network. Edge routers boast multiple terabits of switching capacity, high-density 100G
access, 400G and emerging 800G uplinks, as well as expanded analytics and automation capabilities designed to improve network
visibility and reduce operational complexity. Complexity has been shown to represent as much as nine times the CapEx. The barrier
to entry is high, since all platforms covered in this assessment are based on custom silicon, which is needed to deliver the
performance, cost, and power e ciency demanded by growing tra c patterns.
The functionality provided includes support for applications such as deep packet inspection (DPI), broadband network gateway
(BNG), mobile core (gateways and control), and others. Additional service edge application functionality is being deployed as virtual
network functions (VNFs), which is transitioning the role of the edge router back to a more traditional Layer 2 and Layer 3 high-
performance platform. The challenge for service providers is to build infrastructures that will support growing subscriber demands
for 'anywhere and anytime' voice, video, and data services for wireline and mobile operators, where massive growth is expected, out
of 5G service infrastructures. With the reality of the telco cloud, the infrastructure as a whole - and the services edge in particular -
become key enablers, as well as potential bottlenecks.

IP protocols like segment routing (SR-MPLS and SRv6) and Ethernet VPN (EVPN) are changing the dynamic at the edge; with
centralized management and corresponding network visibility, these protocols help simplify network elements and reduce the
number of protocols needed to deliver assured services.

Market Drivers
• Webscale In uence: Webscale requirements have permeated most, if not all, new router developments. Di erentiation between
webscale operators and the telcos is disappearing, driven by common products and a fully virtualized software and operational
infrastructure.
• Greater Scale: Rapidly growing tra c, indicated by industry surveys (such as Cisco's Visual Networking Index and Ericsson's
Mobility Report), drives the need for greater switching and routing capacity. Higher-scale enhancements in SRs also include higher-
density 10G and 100G access ports and 200G, 400G, and 800G network interfaces. Vendors have increased the scale of their
platforms using next generation network silicon, such as Nokia's FP5, Juniper's Trio 6, and ZTE’s SSP4.

• Service Enablement: Vendors are seeking to partner with operators to facilitate the launch of innovative services. Tools and
support for application enablement are being provided by vendors, as well as by third-party application developers, and some are
being co-developed. Vendors have signi cantly enhanced their SDN and NFV solutions. Carriers such as AT&T, DT, and Orange have
weighed in on the importance of this area. Capabilities, such as network slicing and segment routing, facilitate the deployment of
new services and enable operators to provide service-assured virtual network solutions.
• Simplicity and Automation: Operators are also challenged by network complexity, which has only increased with the addition of 5G
and Internet of Things (IoT) use cases. The need to simplify network processes and protocols has driven the standards
organizations and industry forums to de ne new protocols that align with a centralized control plane model (SDN), where a
signi cant level of intelligence can move from the devices to the controller. Segment routing and EVPN are two protocols being
leveraged to aid in network simpli cation.

• Virtual Routing: High-scale virtual routers deliver IP router functionality for the telco cloud, which requires carrier-grade
performance and resiliency to support agile services over cloud-based infrastructures. Most vendors covered by this assessment
are delivering carrier-grade virtualized versions of their virtual router technology, claiming commercial deployments; however,
uptake is not well quanti ed. Vendors are also o ering their virtual routers in labs and testbeds to help CSPs validate network
functions.

Buying Criteria
• System Performance and Architecture: The IP edge router platforms provide switching and routing functions for the service edge
of the communications service providers' (CSP) network. The metric accesses switching capacity, scalability, per slot capacity,
system redundancy, and power consumption per Gbps. All products in this class use vendor-developed custom silicon, such as
provided by Huawei, Juniper, Nokia, and ZTE, with the Solar V, Trio 6, FP5, and SSP4 chipsets, respectively.

• Interfaces and Port Density: The IP edge router handles multiple interfaces ranging from 1 Gbps to 100 Gbps and 200 Gbps for
access ports and 400 Gbps to 800 Gbps for network side interfaces. Interface types are primarily Ethernet and increasingly dense
wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM). Coherent optical interfaces are being deployed by using compact modular form factors
(i.e., pluggables) to reduce cost, as well as simplify integration and management with the transport network. Vendors Juniper,
Nokia, and ZTE have announced 800G-ready capabilities, with Nokia noting it is currently shipping line cards based on its FP5
silicon.
• Management and Control: SDN-based management and automation solutions enable service providers to (1) achieve operational
e ciency, such as running hotter network utilizations and (2) improve quality of service and improve greater service agility to adapt
to changing tra c requirements through better resource allocation and dynamic con guration. This metrics accesses the
management protocols, such as YANG/NETCONF and SRv6, along with automation, analytics, and monitoring capabilities (e.g.,
Juniper's Paragon Insights, Nokia's Network Services Platform (NSP), Cisco's Crosswork, Huawei's iMaster NCE, and ZTE's ZENIC
ONE).

• Supported Services: Edge routers support a range of business, internet, and residential services, which includes VPNs, broadband,
video, BNG, CE 2.0, CE 3.0, and others. In addition, CSPs leverage edge routers to support 5G transport and traditional xed and
mobile backhaul, which requires various service assurance capabilities, such as H-QoS, tra c monitoring, stringent bandwidth, and
jitter control. Continuity of service in the event of a malfunction is also a key capability.
• Service and Support: Vendors provide varying levels of professional services to operators to train, deploy, and maintain network
infrastructures. These metrics access maintenance, operational support, and integration services that are provided by the vendor
for their equipment, as well as multi-vendor management capabilities. As 5G services roll out, vendors are also called upon to
provide consultation and business enablement services to address network key performance indicators (KPIs), time-to-market, and
network optimization.
• Market Momentum: The vendors and products included in the edge router product class represent the majority of the global
market. Each vendor has provided the current and past generations of their product for multiple years. The metric accesses the
market momentum of the vendor's edge portfolio by noting the vendor-supplied deployment metrics, such as the number of based
units installed or shipped to CSPs, and by noting the key operator networks using the platforms to deliver commercial services.

Vendor Recommendations
• Provide Roadmaps for Future Growth: Vendors should highlight their ability to enhance their platforms to address relentless
growth in capacity demands, as well as highlight their architectures and plans to add increased switching capacity and port speed,
when needed, to e ciently handle future tra c growth. Vendors should provide their 800G roadmaps to help CSPs plan for
continued tra c growth in the metro network.

• Obtain Operator Endorsements: As di cult as they sometimes are to obtain, it will be important for vendors to continue
demonstrating market momentum for their edge platforms. It has been increasingly popular for vendors to partner with operators
at key industry trade shows to demonstrate a new service now possible via their SDN and NFV technologies. The 'What's New'
sections of each vendor report clearly demonstrate signi cant market momentum being logged by vendors.

• Bolster Network Automation Capabilities: Most, if not all, operators surveyed note that network automation has been a signi cant
barrier and concern for continued adoption of virtual network technologies. Vendors should demonstrate their commitments and
highlight their investments to address automation and end-to-end service assurance.

Buyer Recommendations
• Operator/Vendor Partnership: Operators should collaborate with equipment providers to establish an e ective model to both
launch and support a continuous ow of new applications and services that they can o er their subscribers. Multiple vendors have
launched software development kits (SDKs) and partner ecosystems to assist in addressing application enablement and are
integrating open source tools into their o erings. The combination of an application-friendly programmable infrastructure, coupled
with third-party solutions, should open the door to new revenue opportunities.

• Increased Scale: Operators should press their suppliers for commitment and future enhancements for their physical routers to
ensure that the solutions provide an appropriate scale to meet their immediate needs, but incrementally scale, without resorting to
a fearsome forklift upgrade, to reach required capacity and scale levels. Vendors are delivering 400G interfaces to satisfy a shift
from 10G access and 100G uplinks to 100G access and 400G and 800G uplinks.
• Press Vendors for Network and Service Automation: Operators should press all vendors to commit to, and support initiatives to,
provide capabilities to better automate and manage end-to-end service delivery. Operators should look for holistic solutions that
can be integrated in a multivendor environment and with open application programming interfaces (APIs) to facilitate integration
with existing service assurance mechanisms.