Case Study: Portugal Telecom achieves new revenue opportunities and reduced costs with NetCracker vCPE

Portugal Telecom, NEC and Netcracker Test CPE Virtualization for Residential Markets

Portugal Telecom, working with NEC and Netcracker, ran a proof-of-concept for a virtualized CPE (vCPE) solution to address the challenge of delivering highly personalized residential broadband services while cutting provisioning and maintenance costs. The trial focused on moving complex IP functions off home gateways—simplifying on-site hardware and reducing technician visits—so the operator could roll out new consumer features more quickly and consistently across access types.

The NEC/Netcracker vCPE PoC validated migrating IPv4/IPv6 routing, address assignment, NAT and other networking functions to the operator’s data center, turning home gateways into simple Layer 2 bridges and exposing on-demand features via a self-service portal (parental controls, device-specific policies). Results included faster time-to-market, lower OPEX from reduced onsite troubleshooting, fewer technician visits, and new revenue opportunities from more customizable, consistent services.

Portugal Telecom