Open source processes are moving from applications and IT software right into the heart of the network, driven by the rise of software-defined networking (SDN) for telcos, and by open hardware initiatives like Facebook’s Telecoms Infrastructure Project (see separate item). One of the most important efforts for operators – and one which may provide an alternative power base to the one Facebook is assembling – is M-CORD, which is focused on creating an open source central office/core network for 5G. The aim of CORD (Central Office Re-architected as a Datacenter) – part of the ON.Lab initiative alongside ONOS – is to enable the telco central office to function as a data center in a distributed and virtualized environment. The mobile…