The Open Networking Foundation (ONF) has come up with its first open source platform called Aether for delivering Enterprise 5G/LTE-Edge-Cloud-as-a-Service.

Built on the CORD and ONOS platforms, Aether runs in a Kubernetes orchestrated environment. It provides mobile connectivity and edge cloud services for distributed enterprise networks, all provisioned and managed from a centralized cloud.

Based on open source components and optimized for cloud deployments, Aether simultaneously supports deployment on licensed (4G/5G) and unlicensed (CBRS) spectrum. It is easy to deploy, highly scalable and designed for rapid edge service onboarding in a multi-cloud environment.

Aether is designed to be deployed with a mix of spectrum options, such as CBRS and licensed bands, making deployment by traditional operators and new entrants possible. As ONF puts it, Aether is a key enabling platform for enterprise digital transformation, and is making possible a wide range of new business models for how enterprise networks are built, deployed and operated.

Aether is currently deployed in a modest production pilot supporting edge cloud services at two ONF offices, Intel Labs, and at other sites. This pilot is centrally managed and controlled from public cloud, with Aether Edge installations at each site. The entire deployment is maintained by ONF and ONF members using a distributed CI/CD DevOps development pipeline.