HPE offers As-a-Service 5G for Telcos
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) announced a new portfolio of as-a-service offerings to help telecommunications companies build and deploy open 5G networks. The portfolio will accelerate telcos’ path to revenue growth with 5G and enable them to rapidly deploy 5G services to deliver dynamic, personalized, and real-time experiences to employees, customers and citizens.
HPE’s edge-to-cloud, platform as-a-service strategy is uniquely positioned to help telcos capitalize on the 5G opportunity, by leveraging a cloud-native software stack for 5G core, optimized telco core and edge infrastructure blueprints, and Wi-Fi 6 enabled services. Built on open and interoperable platforms combined with carrier grade infrastructure and modular software components, the portfolio of offerings allows telcos to incorporate more automation, become more agile, and deploy new 5G services faster across the telco core, the telco edge and into the enterprise.
5G promises to revolutionize the technology landscape, but the journey to pervasive 5G is in its early stages. To fully realize the benefits and power of 5G, a standalone 5G core needs to be combined with the nascent 5G radio access networks. Previous generation networks have often depended on proprietary vertically integrated systems from a single vendor, but 5G offers the opportunity to move to open, cloud-native platforms that utilize commercial off-the-shelf servers along with modular software components from different vendors, allowing telcos to monetize innovative new 5G services faster.
At the edge of the telco network, legacy network infrastructure in the RAN also uses proprietary network technology that results in high operational costs and limited agility. Furthermore, the higher frequencies of 5G have issues penetrating buildings, therefore telcos will need to be able to utilize both 5G RAN and Wi-Fi 6 networks in the enterprise in order to provide uninterrupted service to their customers as they enter shopping malls, campuses and office buildings.
Accelerating 5G adoption with a cloud-native 5G core software stack, available as a pre-integrated solution and as-a-service
The true value of 5G can only be realized when radio access networks are combined with a 5G core network. This will enable holistic management, data sharing, and slicing into virtual 5G networks with dedicated usage and characteristics. The promise of 5G will be unleashed through open, modern platforms, interoperable with existing networks to allow telcos to bring new 5G services to the market quickly while bridging from previous generation networks.
HPE 5G Core Stack is a cloud-native, containerized 5G core network software stack that accelerates the journey to new 5G revenue streams, seamlessly integrates with previous generation networks and is future-ready for upcoming advancements in 5G standards. The HPE 5G Core Stack will be available as an integrated software and hardware platform, based on validated HPE Telco core and edge blueprints, and supported within HPE GreenLake. By deploying a truly open, cloud-native 5G core, telcos can swap out network functions as needed, enabling them to respond to market developments and avoid vendor lock-in.
Virtualizing the radio access network and operationalizing edge compute
To streamline new services at the telco edge, HPE continues to innovate at the 5G edge and is developing new infrastructure solutions designed to power both vRAN and MEC solutions at the telco edge or on the enterprise edge. At the boundary between the telco and enterprise edge, telcos need to be able to offer new edge compute services, and enterprises need an efficient way to consume them.
Extending the 5G experience to the enterprise with Wi-Fi 6
Today, when subscribers enter a building and manually switch to the enterprise Wi-Fi network to maintain high-performance connectivity inside, subscriber access and visibility can be lost, limiting the telco operators’ ability to deliver services. Using Passpoint® technology and the new Aruba Air Pass service, cellular subscribers can now securely and automatically roam onto participating Aruba enterprise customer Wi-Fi networks using their SIM credentials and be visible to mobile network operators. This technology extends the 5G footprint into the enterprise while allowing telcos access to Wi-Fi connected users and IoT devices, and is essential for maintaining high service levels and the ability to create and monetize new services.
“5G has the potential to revolutionize our digital lives and the combination of 5G and Wi-Fi 6 presents telcos with an unlimited array of possibilities for offering subscribers new and compelling services that can transform the user experience,” said Keerti Melkote, president of Intelligent Edge at HPE and founder of Aruba Networks. “With a broad portfolio of innovations that span from the telco core to the enterprise edge, HPE is the only platform as-a-service company that can deliver the infrastructure, software solutions and the technical expertise to support global telcos in their quest to fully realize the promise of 5G.”