Microsoft to Build a New 5G Telco Cloud Platform

“Microsoft will combine AT&T's Network Cloud technology with Azure's security to develop a robust 5G telecommunication cloud platform.”

In a recent press meet, tech giant Microsoft has unveiled its Azure Operator Distributed Services, which is said to be the new iteration of its hybrid cloud telco platform. It will be combining AT&T's Network Cloud technology with Azure's security, monitoring, machine learning, and analytics to develop a robust 5G telecommunication cloud platform.

This new wave of Azure for Operators recently combined with AT&T's seven-year effort in SDN and network virtualization. This is designed to support AT&T's mobile core network, and it consists of more than 60 cloud-native network functions and virtual network functions from 15 different vendors. Microsoft's partnership with AT&T is unique as this is the first time that a tier-one operator has included commercial hybrid cloud technology to run mobility network workloads.

Microsoft also has stated that security and privacy remain platform priorities. The company wants to clarify that operators using Azure Operator Distributed Services continue to hold access to their customer data. It is also reported that both companies will begin initial testing later this year. Besides, Microsoft is working with operators like Ericsson and Nokia to continue building upon its Telco cloud platform.