Telecom equipment maker Nokia announced its partnership with Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Microsoft Azure.
Nokia and Google Cloud partner to develop new, cloud-based 5G radio solutions.
The two companies will develop 5G solutions combining Nokia’s Radio Access Network (RAN), Open RAN, and Cloud RAN, with Google’s edge computing platform to deliver additional 5G monetization opportunities for CSPs.
Nokia and AWS will enable cloud-based 5G radio solutions.
Nokia is working with AWS to extend reach of Cloud RAN and Open RAN technology and accelerate and develop new customer-focused 5G deployments.
Nokia partners with Microsoft on cloud solutions for enterprise.
Nokia will integrate its Cloud RAN technology with Microsoft Azure to drive end-user 5G deployments.
AWS
Nokia has signed an agreement with AWS to research and enable Cloud RAN (vRAN) and Open RAN technologies to support the development of new customer-focused 5G solutions. The collaboration, which will be conducted at Nokia’s facilities, aims to develop proof of concepts (PoC) to explore and enable Cloud RAN and related technologies.
Engineering teams from Nokia and AWS will research how the combination of Nokia’s RAN (Radio Access Network), Open RAN, Cloud RAN and edge solutions can operate seamlessly with AWS Outposts.
Operators will be able to simplify the network virtualization and platform layers for the Core and RAN network functions by leveraging cloud. This will enable enterprises to achieve their desired business outcomes for new 5G use cases developed by AWS ISV Partners.
Microsoft
Nokia announced an agreement with Microsoft to develop 4G and 5G private wireless use cases for enterprises.
The collaboration will combine Nokia’s Cloud RAN (vRAN) technologies with Microsoft Azure cloud-based services and developer ecosystem to drive end-user functionality via new business cases.
The project, which will run in three stages, will see Nokia combine its mobile network solutions including Cloud RAN, Open RAN, Radio Access Controller (RIC) and multi-access edge cloud (MEC) with the Azure Private Edge Zone.
Azure Private Edge Zone enables data processing close to the end user, addressing ultra-low latency, high throughout 5G-based applications such as real-time robotics, mixed reality or immersive gaming.
Nokia will also integrate its 5G RAN with Azure 4G/5G core to demonstrate interworking to support enterprise use cases required by Microsoft’s customers. Nokia’s LTE/5G RAN in enterprise premises provides high-performing and reliable connectivity to 5G enterprise use cases from the Azure 5G core and application ecosystem.
Microsoft and Nokia will explore further opportunities to incorporate Nokia Airframe Open Edge server as part of its telco edge strategy. Nokia AirFrame Open Edge server distributes computing capacity into the edge of the network and drives the implementation of Cloud RAN, Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) as well as 5G.
“Our collaboration with Nokia will provide operators with choices on how the best adopt cloud technology in concert with their 5G updates to drive new revenue streams, reduce cost and future proof their network investment,” said Yousef Khalidi, corporate vice president, Azure for Operators at Microsoft.
Google Cloud
Nokia announced a partnership with Google Cloud to develop new, cloud-based 5G radio solutions. The two companies will collaborate on joint solutions combining Nokia’s Radio Access Network (RAN), Open RAN, Cloud RAN (vRAN) and edge cloud technologies, with Google’s edge computing platform and applications ecosystem.
The initial collaboration, which is underway at Nokia’s Espoo headquarters, will pursue a number of different workstreams. The first will focus on Cloud RAN and will integrate Nokia’s 5G vDU (virtualized distributed unit) and 5G vCU (virtualized centralized unit) with Google’s edge computing platform, running on Anthos.
Nokia’s 5G standalone network with vCU and 5G core will also be tested on Google Cloud Anthos platform as a cloud-native deployment.
Bikash Koley, VP, Google Global Network and Head of Technology for Telecom Products at Google Cloud, said: “This partnership with Nokia will combine both of our decades of mobile communications expertise to deliver new solutions that help CSPs enable business transformation at the network edge.”
