Dell Technologies and Dish Network entered a strategic infrastructure agreement to support Dish's launch of a cloud-native, Open RAN-based 5G network in the US. The companies are reimagining the ways in which 5G RAN networks are built and deployed with an ecosystem of partners, technologies and Dell's open infrastructure foundation.
Dell Technologies will provide Dish's edge network infrastructure foundation, powering devices, software and products to help customers tap into the connectivity and business opportunities made possible by the combination of 5G and edge computing.
Using Dell's security software and global supply chain, Dish will deploy Dell open hardware and software infrastructure for its 5G network. With Dell's zero-touch provisioning and deployment of containerised RAN network functions, Dish can simplify and automate deployment of software and services across geographic locations.
Through the agreement, Dell and Dish will cover seven areas.
First, they are creating private 5G wireless network products, software-defined wide area networks and multi-access edge cloud platforms. Aimed at providing value to a wide range of industries, the companies are working together on a go-to-market strategy to deliver simple products to drive value for customers at the edge.
Second, they will co-develop technology for Open RAN, SmartNICs, emerging micro-edge colocation, operational automation and other areas of R&D. Joint teams will pursue and create multi-access edge computing (MEC) products for enterprise and small business opportunities.
Third, they will enable advanced machine learning functionalities to monitor the health of the system and to help proactively predict the anomalies that may impact performance or services. Dell and Dish will design the network infrastructure from cell sites to data centres to deliver better performance, power efficiency and automated operations.
Fourth, Dish will also deploy Dell EMC PowerEdge servers at cell tower sites and in centralised RAN locations to tackle the growing demands of edge-based, data-intensive workloads.
Fifth, Dell Technologies APEX Flex On Demand allows Dish to scale its server usage up and down while only paying for what they use. Dell will deliver systems to the edge with factory integration, while services and support professionals will help ensure efficient deployment and lifecycle management.
Sixth, Dell and Dish are establishing advanced technology collaboration teams to identify and develop future technologies and investment opportunities. The companies will collaborate on the roadmap and silicon diversity for 5G RAN and edge infrastructure focusing on improvements of cost-to-serve, performance density, operational reliability and power consumption of telecom equipment in the 5G network.
Last, Dish and Dell are teaming to develop and market products. For example, the companies are designing and certifying Dell 5G-enabled laptops with Dish connectivity options to bring 5G to more people and places. The companies will offer device management and eSIM provisioning functionalities, so customers can activate service without a physical SIM card on both private and shared networks, all within a "pay for what they use" model.
