FROM THE INDUSTRY
For ISPs, the move to Open Caching goes beyond alleviating congestion, and instead, provides greater control over traffic flow and network efficiency. By embedding compute resources directly within their networks, ISPs can dynamically manage the way content is routed, and optimise network performance on a more granular level. This ensures ISPs have the opportunity to prioritise traffic, bandwidth usage, and the route high-priority content is delivered in, with minimal delay and maximum quality. Beyond consumer experience enhancements, this shift also presents a significant opportunity for ISPs to make cost savings through more efficient use of infrastructure and a reduced need for over-provisioning of resources. It means they can scale more effectively, adapt to demand, and improve the overall profitability of their operations.
The traditional content delivery methods from the start of this century are not equipped to deal with the demands of today’s streaming world, and they are certainly not designed for the next era of internet applications. Upgrading and expanding centralised data centres alone won’t create the necessary network ecosystem that can deal with the burgeoning demands of latency, congestion and bandwidth strain. Real change is required; the entire content delivery chain needs to be reimagined in terms of how and where network traffic is processed and delivered. The limitations of the CDN market in recent years are evident. And the high- profile exits of StackPath, Lumen and Edgio from the CDN market – alongside Akamai’s pivot to higher-margin services – further demonstrate the need for a more sustainable and scalable approach right now. The end of the traditional CDN model Back in the early 2000s, the arrival of first generation CDNs were seen as a breakthrough for content delivery, providing the ability to cache static assets closer to users to improve performance for real-time applications such as audio and low-quality video streaming. Now, the demands of higher-definition video, live streaming and the need for ever lower-latency interactions are exposing their limitations.
As more devices and users connect to the internet, routing content through distant, centralised data centres introduces delays, buffering and degraded user experiences. The volume of network traffic and the ubiquity of real-time applications has changed the landscape irrevocably. Live sports events, new game releases, immersive experiences, video conferencing, smart devices and AI-driven language models are all pushing the networks to their capacity. ISPs need an architecture that can handle unpredictable spikes in demand, locally and globally, and maintain a high Quality of Experience (QoE).
The Open Caching effect
The introduction of Open Caching technology, driven by the Streaming Video Technology Alliance (SVTA) has emerged as a critical enabler to many of these immediate challenges in the video market. By distributing content closer to end users, Open Caching reduces the distance that data needs to travel, significantly lowering network congestion and preventing bottlenecks. Instead of relying solely on distant CDNs, ISPs can deploy caching servers within their own networks, bringing content dramatically closer to users and enhancing performance. These servers store and serve high-demand content locally, improving the user experience during peak demand times. This localised approach reduces strain on core networks and improves efficiency by leveraging existing ISP infrastructure.
The arrival of the Open Edge
The next step beyond realising the promise of Open Caching is the Open Edge. By embedding, caching, storage and computational power directly within an ISP’s network, the Open Edge can transform their ability to handle user requirements beyond video streaming. By shifting processing to the edge, where content is cached and computations are performed closer to the end user, ISPs can offload traffic from the core network and avoid congestion.
MARCH 2025 Volume 47 No.1
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