BT has unveiled a groundbreaking international network called “Global Fabric,” designed to foster innovation and rapid advancements for business customers.
This cutting-edge network interconnects the diverse clouds used by businesses for applications and data with end-users like customers and employees, enabling seamless integration with the emerging era of digital automation and artificial intelligence.
Global Fabric is a technology paradigm shift based on a network-as-a-service (NaaS) model. It mirrors the flexibility, scalability, and resilience of the cloud, offering a pay-as-you-use approach. By merging the strengths of cloud and networks, customers can optimize application performance, user experience, and costs.
The innovative network provides customers the liberty to choose the most suitable connectivity for their applications and workloads while proactively managing their routes across the network. This level of control allows for optimal application performance, cost management, and compliance with evolving regulatory requirements concerning data in transit.
This high-capacity, fully programmable network is built with state-of-the-art equipment, prioritizing efficiency, sustainability, and resilience. BT estimates that once fully deployed, Global Fabric will consume 79 percent less electricity than its existing global networks, facilitating a notable reduction in Scope 3 carbon emissions for customers on the new network.
Global Fabric’s digital orchestration and user-friendly interface offer customers a unique “shopping” experience for connectivity. It will be seamlessly integrated with over 630 digital service providers and more than 700 data centers, encompassing major public cloud providers, private clouds, network, software-as-a-service (SaaS), and secure access service edge (SASE) solutions, accessible at a simple click.
Jan Hein Bakkers, Senior Research Director at IDC, emphasized the importance of a solid network foundation for organizations aiming to embrace digital-first and cloud-centric strategies. He noted that BT’s Global Fabric effectively addresses the need for network transformation, providing flexibility, manageability, scalability, and cost-effectiveness vital for a superior end-user experience.
Global Fabric has been met with enthusiasm by industry leaders. Chris Sharp, Chief Technology Officer at Digital Realty, praised the innovation and highlighted the benefits of enhanced speeds and minimal latency, along with reduced environmental impact through strategic location placement within carrier-neutral facilities.
Brenden Rawle, Senior Director Business Development EMEA at Equinix, commended BT’s continued innovation and looked forward to collaborating in delivering extensive connectivity options to customers.
Bas Burger, CEO of Business at BT, emphasized the importance of Global Fabric in future-proofing customers’ connectivity amidst the surge of digital revolution driven by AI, IoT, and automation. He highlighted how the network enables enhanced app performance, user experience, and compliance while lowering overall costs, making multi-cloud operations more efficient on BT.
Global Fabric represents a pivotal step towards a future where connectivity seamlessly fuels business innovation and technological advancements.
