Dalian Unicom Joins Hands with ZTE to Complete Liaoning’s First ICT Institute IPv6+Testing and Certification

Recently, China United Network Communications Co., Ltd. Dalian Branch (hereinafter referred to as “Dalian Unicom”) and ZTE Communications have passed the intelligent metropolitan area network IPv6+testing and certification by the China Communications Academy, and obtained the first “IPv6+Ready 1.0” certification in Liaoning Province, fully proving that Dalian Unicom’s intelligent metropolitan area network architecture has the ability to achieve comprehensive urban area business carrying based on SRv6 new technology. It has accumulated a technological foundation for the evolution of China Unicom’s intelligent metropolitan area network to a new architecture that integrates cloud and network.
In recent years, departments such as the National Cyberspace Administration, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology have issued multiple documents to promote the large-scale deployment and application of IPv6. As an authoritative organization for evaluating IPv6+, the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology has jointly initiated the “IPv6+Ready” project with various industry organizations, assisting in the standardization and healthy development of the IPv6+industry from multiple aspects such as standard promotion, industry evaluation, industry cooperation, and project application. At present, the “IPv6+Ready” testing and evaluation project focuses on end-to-end solutions based on SRv6 benchmark capabilities, and conducts the “IPv6+Ready 1.0” industry evaluation.

Under the overall guidance of China Unicom Group and Liaoning Provincial Company, Dalian Unicom actively implements the strategy of IPv6 scale deployment, and collaborates with ZTE to continuously deepen network transformation. By introducing big data, AI technology, and the new generation “IPv6+” protocol, Dalian Unicom adopts a step-by-step phased plan to help traditional networks gradually achieve the evolution and upgrading to intelligent new IP networks. Recently, under the witness of China Academy of Information and Communications and the Network Department of Liaoning Provincial Company, both parties have verified the SDN capability of Dalian Unicom’s intelligent metropolitan area network and passed the “IPv6+Ready 1.0” certification test of China Academy of Information and Communications. The test content includes SRv6 networking capability, FlexE network slicing deployment, automatic routing in comprehensive business scenarios, security capability, network reliability, and business link switching. The test results prove that Dalian Unicom’s intelligent metropolitan area network can meet the deployment requirements of various scenarios in the IPv6+1.0 stage. The passing of this IPv6+testing certification is an important milestone for Dalian Unicom’s technological innovation and the construction of an “IPv6+” cloud network edge end integrated programmable service system, setting a demonstration benchmark for Unicom’s large-scale deployment of IPv6+in Liaoning Province.
Previously, both parties completed the SRv6 upgrade and evolution of intelligent metropolitan area network equipment in April 2022. Through multiple network cutovers and zoning for device version upgrades and business migration, both parties have completed the deployment of the Dalian Intelligent Metropolitan Area Network from access to the core end-to-end SRv6. At the same time, FlexE slicing verification testing has been completed on the upgraded Intelligent Metropolitan Area Network, providing hard pipeline isolation for subsequent ToB services, achieving flexible and refined management, and providing differentiated support for quality services.

Subsequently, in December of the same year, both parties verified the EVPN over SRv6 technology’s ability to carry wireless, home wide, government enterprise dedicated lines and other business capabilities, integrating traditional fixed network services such as home wide, IP HOST, IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem), and voice into the intelligent metropolitan area network, achieving true fixed mobile integration. Firstly, the EVPN over SRv6 technology provided by ZTE can effectively simplify the data plane and control plane, enabling the network to have the characteristics of centralized business control, stateless intermediate network, and high scalability, meeting the high bandwidth and low latency requirements of 5G services. Secondly, ZTE provides the flagship 5G bearer product ZXCTN 9000-EA series, 5G bearer smart access product ZXCTN 6000 series, and intelligent control system ZENIC ONE R22 in network deployment. In addition to supporting EVPN over SRv6 technology, ZTE also supports independent forwarding and intelligent centralized programming control, providing differentiated bearer business support, meeting the comprehensive business bearer needs of the 5G era, and improving the service capacity of intelligent metropolitan area networks, Assist China Unicom in providing a new intelligent metropolitan area network 5G business ultimate experience driven by future applications.
In the future, Dalian Unicom will continue to deepen cooperation with ZTE, promote the deployment of “IPv6+” 2.0 technology validation, and use ZTE’s leading stream detection, BIER new multicast, AI operation and maintenance, green energy conservation and other innovative technology applications to consolidate the new foundation of IPv6 computing network, and fully build a new generation of high-quality computing power boutique network of “IPv6+”.