Nokia has partnered with AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud to integrate its radio access network with public cloud platforms. Combined technology will help developers and service providers provide 5G services.
Overall, the deals announced this week will provide a critical cloud infrastructure for providing next-generation wireless services.
“[Enterprises] they prefer to consume 5G as a service than to integrate all the necessary elements to create it themselves, ”said Tom Knoll, president of telecommunications consulting firm CIMI Corp.
A radio access network (RAN) connects devices, such as cell phones, personal computers, and tablets, to the core of a telecommunications network. Nokia is a supporter of Open RAN (O-RAN), built on open architecture.
The following provides details of each of the partnerships:
- Nokia and Google Cloud development plan collaborative products that combine the previous O-RAN and virtual RAN (vRAN) with Google’s ultimate computing platform. Nokia will use its technology Google Cloud Anthos, an environment for running applications in containers instead of virtual machines.
- Nokia and AWS agreed to allow vRAN and O-RAN on the cloud platform. The companies plan to jointly develop evidence for the concept of combined technologies. AWS said the work would allow software developers to build and then offer 5G services to AWS.
- Microsoft and Nokia expect to combine VRAN, O-RAN and Nokia’s Nokia Access Controller with Azure Private Edge Zones computing platform. For example, software developers can create real-time robotics, mixed-reality, or immersive gaming applications. Nokia also plans to integrate its RAN technology with the Azure 4G / 5G core to support enterprise services.
Partnerships are not the first between Nokia and cloud providers. In 2019, she announced a communication technology partnership with Microsoft. The deal combines the Azure platform, AI and machine learning with Nokia’s private LTE / 5G wireless products, software-defined WAN and IoT connectivity technologies. The partners sought to develop services for enterprises and communication service providers (CSPs).
Nokia and Google Cloud announced last year they would develop cloud 5G core products for CSP. In October, Nokia announced that it will move its local IT infrastructure and applications to Google Cloud.