Ericsson Reveals Container-Based 5G ‘First’ With Telstra

Ericsson says it has, with an assist from Telstra, deployed the first cloud-native and container-based evolved packet core for 4G and 5G services. The Australian network operator launched limited 5G services on Ericsson equipment in May and has been building out its coverage to reach at least 35 cities during the first half of 2020. Ericsson says it has, with an assist from Telstra, deployed the first cloud-native and container-based evolved packet core for 4G and 5G services. The Australian network operator launched limited 5G services on Ericsson equipment in May and has been building out its coverage to reach at least 35 cities during the first half of 2020. Telstra deployed Ericsson’s evolved packet core technology in its network functions virtualization infrastructure (NFVI) and is now carrying live 4G and 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) traffic on its mobile core network, according to a joint announcement. Ericsson describes the successful deployment as a “significant milestone in network orchestration and automation” because it will enable Telstra and other operators that use the technology to build a web-scale core network. Moreover, it adds that the containerization of core network functions will help carriers implement greater orchestration and deliver new services, including enhanced mobile broadband, network slicing, mobile edge computing, and critical services for enterprises. Telstra’s cloud native evolved packet core is running on Ericsson’s packet core controller and packet core gateway products, according to Ericsson. Both technologies support 4G and 5G (NSA) control and user plane functions and are designed to be fully cloud-native and container-based, the vendor added. The packet core technologies are also powered by Ericsson’s cloud container distribution platform, which can be deployed via its NFVI offering or other Cloud Native Computing Foundation distributions, according to Ericsson. The cloud container distribution platform can operate on bare metal, within a virtual machine, or in an OpenStack deployment. “This is an important step towards fundamentally changing the way both companies deploy and operate mobile core networks,” said Emilio Romeo, head of Ericsson Australia and New Zealand, in a prepared statement. “Core networks will become much more flexible and agile, allowing operators such as Telstra to quickly create and deploy compelling new services for their customers. This in turn helps operators build new revenues.” Telstra has embarked on an initiative to improve its service by making its network more flexible and efficient with the aid of cloud-native and container-based applications, explained Shailin Sehgal, a product enablement technology executive at Telstra, in a prepared statement. “This is key to cost effectively scaling and automating our network and speeding up the delivery of innovative new services that are essential in a 5G world.” This isn’t the first time Ericsson and Telstra have collaborated on emerging technology for 5G. In July, the vendor and operator completed Australia’s first “end-to-end” call using mobile network equipment based on the 5G New Radio Standalone (NR SA) specification in the 3.6 GHz spectrum band. Ericsson also, last month, successfully demonstrated the use of dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) to allow 5G service to automatically operate across different spectrum bands. The technology figures to be a critical component of operators’ 5G strategies because it will enable operators to make use of their full portfolio of spectrum for 4G LTE and 5G service on the same equipment.