The Russian operator and broadband provider Rostelecom has deployed the world’s largest operator content delivery network (CDN) using a solution developed and integrated by Ericsson.
The CDN design and integration is ground-breaking in terms of both capability and geographic span, with content servers located in 30 major cities across all federal districts of Russia. In addition, the network has a capacity of more than 1 terabit per second serving Rostelecom's 9.5 million broadband customers, from a total base of 28 million subscribers.
Through this deployment, Rostelecom is addressing the escalating rise in network traffic, the global consumer uptake of online video, and the growing popularity of over-the-top (OTT) services, such as those provided by online movie firms. The new network will enable Russian consumers to enjoy higher video quality and a better user experience with diminished load time and buffering thanks to reduced network latency and increased throughput.
Olga Rumyantseva, Rostelecom Executive Director and Director for Corporate and Government Segments, says: "With competition between content providers at an all-time high, quality and speed of delivery to consumers has become a critical differentiator. Guaranteed quality of experience is especially important to content providers who want to ensure customer satisfaction and foster brand loyalty."
Ericsson's Media Delivery Network solution is at the heart of the new system, enabling Rostelecom to optimise content delivery across Russia though the strategic distribution of multi-service edge servers, which bring content closer to the end user. The solution enables the operator to forge new, more sustainable business models with content providers and to more fully leverage the value of its network in the expanding media world. With a unique single-platform approach to policy control, routing and caching of all content types, the CDN also allows operators ultimate network efficiency and saves bandwidth, footprint, and operational costs.
Ove Anebygd, Vice President and Head of Solution Area Media, Ericsson, says: "It's clear that consumer demand for internet content - especially video - will only continue to grow, and it is the network operators who make that experience possible. Rostelecom is building new video business models on our Media Delivery Network solution and that's a strong validation of how we are transforming the operator CDN market."
