Microsoft announced plans to collaborate with telecommunications companies on the rollout of 5G networks with a view to bringing cloud and edge technologies closer using Azure. In a blog post, Microsoft Azure executive vice president Jason Zander said Microsoft intends to help operators unlock the potential of 5G by enabling them to offer a range of new services such as "ultra-reliable low-latency connectivity, mixed reality communications services, network slicing and highly scalable IoT applications."
The company said its approach is built on the recent acquisition of two 5G telecom software providers – Metaswitch Networks and Affirmed Networks – and on the development of Azure Edge Zones. “By bringing together hundreds of engineers with deep experience in the telecommunications space, we are ensuring that our product development process is catering to the most relevant networking needs of the operators,” said Zander.
Separately, Samsung announced an agreement to collaborate with Microsoft on an end-to-end, cloud-based private 5G network solution. Samsung said the two companies plan to advance the virtualisation of 5G solutions, including the deployment of Samsung’s virtualised RAN, virtualised core and Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) technologies on Microsoft Azure.
The aim is to achieve greater cost efficiencies in 5G deployments, lowering the barrier to entry for private 5G networks in businesses such as retail stores, smart factories and entertainment venues, said the company.
