NAB 2019 Reflections: CenturyLink's Derek Anderson on Expanding Cloud-Based Media and Services Vyvx Cloud Connect now includes Google Cloud; Streamroot is new partner By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor Thursday, April 18, 2019 - 12:35 pm
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With the recently acquired Level 3 Communications fully integrated into the company portfolio, CenturyLink made a series of announcements at NAB 2019 expanding its cloud-based media and OTT services. The Vyvx suite of fiber-based broadcast services is integrated with Google Cloud Platform (GCP). In addition, a global agreement with Streamroot provides peer-to-peer networking solutions that can be used in combination with CenturyLink's content-delivery network (CDN); called CenturyLink CDN Mesh Delivery, the platform leverages a software-based mesh network to easily manage peak traffic loads. The company's portfolio of cloud connectivity and services also now includes IBM Cloud Object Storage platform.
At the show, SVG sat down with CenturyLink Principal Solutions Architect Derek Anderson to discuss the NAB announcements, the rising demand for 100-Gbps infrastructures, the impact of at-home production on the transmission sector, and the evolving role of CenturyLink's recently launched 53-ft. expando transmission trailer.
CenturyLink's Derek Anderson: What we're doing now is focusing on the underlying infrastructure. We are continuing to build up our fully owned fiber infrastructure into sports venues.
What are CenturyLink's big announcements here at NAB 2019?
First, we announced that we've expanded our Vyvx Cloud Connect offering, which we launched last year with AWS, to include Google Cloud. The [platform] connects our Vyvx video-infrastructure network directly with major cloud providers, now including Google Cloud. That could be a direct contribution feed from sports venues, managed 100% privately with GCP for processing, encoding, packaging, archiving, and anything else you might need. In another use case, as more master-control functions are moving into the cloud, you can also acquire content going out of GCP and then support the distribution to OTT providers on a full-time basis.
Second, on the CDN side, we've partnered with Streamroot to create peer-to-peer networking solutions that can be used in combination with our CDN. Essentially, the platform combines the CDN and a mesh network to intelligently manage the video content. We see that as being really key to enabling rapid scalability for big live events for over-the-top delivery.
Third is the addition of IBM Cloud Object Storage. We now have a massively scalable object-storage platform that connects directly into our CDN for large-scale content delivery and management.
What has the reaction been to the Vyvx Cloud Connect platform since you launched it last September at IBC?
I think we've seen an extremely high demand thus far because of the cloud economics of I want it now or I want it yesterday. I see that appetite and the timeline for building new cloud-based workflows only accelerating. That connects nicely back to our underlying control systems for real-time services, which Vyvx has always done. With that underlying infrastructure and connectivity in place and now AWS and GCP added to the equation, we can [blend] services, and we're leveraging the control systems we've had in place for a while.
I think there is a ton of experimentation in terms of what's possible in the cloud for new workflows. There are established workflows for getting compressed video to the cloud, encoding and pushing that out to our CDN. But, when you get into the more bleeding-edge virtualized production workflows and origination playout, I think there's still a lot of work yet to be done. But, from our standpoint as the on-ramp and off-ramp to put those environments in place, we're open for business.
Are you seeing the demand for 100-Gbps connectivity rising in the live-sports-transmission sector, and what are CenturyLink's plans when it comes to 100 gig?
Our first official foray into 100-Gbps architectures was for the U-21 UEFA Championships in Europe in 2017. We supported 100-Gbps backhaul for the Final from Poland to London for BT Sport: two diverse 100-gig infrastructures supporting uncompressed UHD backhaul. That was definitely positioned as a proof-of-concept technology trial, but it worked very well.
What we're doing now is focusing on the underlying infrastructure to support that. As we have been doing for a number of years, we are continuing to build up our fully owned fiber infrastructure into sports venues. About 75% of all pro U.S. sports venues are physically connected on our infrastructure. In terms of the economics, we see that as being the critical foundation for enabling ultra-high bandwidth architectures.
On our roadmap for this year, we're partnering with a few industry players to test out 100 Gbps. We're looking to [transmit] fully uncompressed native-IP [signals] out of the cameras and using that for [at-home] or distributed production workflows. Although we are not announcing any in terms of 100 Gbps, I think we will have some exciting news later on in the year.
What do you see as the primary drivers for the rising demand for 100 Gbps?
It's driven by [increased demand for] 4K. In the last one to two years, I think we've seen 4K [go] from very niche to nearly mainstream for big events, especially sports. We're past the point of asking, is this going to be another 3D? The demand for 4K is definitely on the uptick, so that is going to drive the need for increased capacity.
And then, obviously, the move to native-IP workflows and the [approval of the] SMPTE ST 2110 suite of standards will have a major impact. When you think about doing native uncompressed
