DNS evolution critical to 5G and next-gen network technologies, says Infoblox

Infoblox Inc. has released new study on the problems Communication Service Providers (CSPs) have in moving to distributed cloud models, as well as use cases for Multi-access edge computing (MEC), 5G New Radio (NR), and 5G Next-Generation Core (NGC) networks.

The report, titled “DNS and the Edge: The Evolution will be distributed” was conducted by Heavy Reading and surveyed communication service providers around the world to understand the role that DNS plays in the evolution of these cloud-based network models.

“Distributed cloud models such as 5G and multi-access edge computing networks have the potential to drastically change the CSP industry, delivering high-bandwidth, low latency services to network customers” said Dilip Pillaipakam, Vice President and GM of Service Provider Business at Infoblox.

He added, “Yet to fully take advantage of the benefits of these new technologies, DNS will have to evolve to address the challenges that come from delivering these high-value services at the network edge.”

“CSPs seeking to take advantage of the benefits of cloud-based and distributed technologies like MEC, 5G NR, and 5G NGC, will need DNS services that can keep up with the challenge of edge-centric network models,” continued Pillaipakam.

He also said, “DNS providers will need to adapt and evolve to ensure that customers in this industry are provided with the features, flexibility, and security that these new architectures demand.”

DNS is an important part of these new network topologies and technologies because it allows devices to connect to the network safely and reliably. DNS will need to become more automated and function at a larger scale and with greater flexibility as 5G NR, NGC, and MEC technologies enable faster, more distributed networks with much more connected devices.

According to the poll, despite the importance of DNS to the reliable operation of these networks, few CSPs believe their DNS is currently capable of supporting MEC or 5G NGC.

To meet this demand, networks will need to take use of distributed DNS technology, which allows network administrators to meet users where they are—at the network edge.

Other key findings of the survey include:

• CSPs consider DNS to be critical to the adoption of next-generation network technologies like 5G (71%), cloud-based managed security services (66%) and MEC (63%)
• More than one third of CSPs surveyed plan to implement MEC (36%), 5G (35%), and NGC (35%) in the next 12-18 months.
• Despite this, the lack of a mature vendor solution ranks as the largest obstacle these providers face in MEC (36%), 5G NR (46%) and 5G NGC (39%) deployments.

Companies representing all parts of the business were polled, with convergent operators accounting for 46% of responses, mobile operators for 26%, and fixed-line and cable operators for 26%. (10 percent each). The poll inquired about their plans for implementing MEC, 5G NGC, and 5G NR technologies and their concerns and implementation challenges.

According to the conclusions of the poll, the future of DNS will be determined by the introduction of a fully distributed and capable edge-based DNS.