In for a penny, in for a euro: VMware virtualizes Vodafone’s non-5G core, already in eight of 11 European markets
UK operator Vodafone on Thursday announced that VMware’s Telco Cloud Platform is the basis for its cloud-native Standalone 5G (SA) network. Vodafone has deployed the platform already across Europe in eight of its 11 markets. Vodafone plans to expand the platform to all of its European markets over time.
VMware’s Telco Cloud Platform is the company’s multi-domain orchestration and automation platform. Telco Cloud Platform helps operators deploy cloud-native and virtual network functions in the 5G Core.
The new infrastructure is live as part of Vodafone’s 5G SA networks in the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Romania and the UK. VMware also virtualized Vodafone’s non-5G core network infrastructure. This transition helps Vodafone scale up new network functionality to bring features to market faster and more efficiently.
“This means Vodafone can securely design, build, test and deploy next generation functions 40% more quickly and for half the price,” said Vodafone.
Telco Cloud Platform helps “simplify operations”
Vodafone’s public 5G efforts began in 2020 with a new Ericsson-based network deployment at Coventry University in England. Earlier this year, Vodafone launched 5G SA pilots in London, Manchester and Cardiff.
“This leadership position greatly complements our investments in Multi-access Edge Compute (MEC) capabilities, the Internet of Things (IoT), Mobile Private Networks (MPN) and OpenRAN,” said Andrea Donà, Vodafone’s chief network officer in the U.K., from a statement in June.
Standardizing on Telco Cloud Platform helps Vodafone scale services to meet burgeoning demand, according to Johan Wibergh, CTO, Vodafone.
“Having launched the first 5G standalone network in Europe, we are now putting all that power into a single cloud-based platform to simplify operations and rapidly respond to customer’s needs across Europe and Africa. It starts with 5G at the core, but the possibilities are limitless,” said Wiberg.
Vodafone activated a 5G SA network in Germany in April. The new network was initially launched in some major cities including Frankfurt, Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich and Düsseldorf. Vodafone Germany upgraded 1,000 sites to SA 5G, covering 170 areas via 3.5 GHz spectrum.
VMware added RAN disaggregation to its bag of Telco Cloud Platform tricks earlier this year. Telco Cloud Platform RAN enables CSPs to virtualize radio access network (RAN) functions and implement an open RAN architecture. Vodafone tapped VMware and others to help with its Open RAN efforts, which are still in the lab at this point.
Earlier this month VMware announced its spinoff from Dell in a deal that values VMware at $64 billion. It’s working with Dish Network to implement Open RAN functionality on its greenfield 5G network. VMware is also working with Italian operator Telecom Italia (TIM) to test Open RAN systems. The test started in Matera and Turin, following an initial test in Faenza, Italy.
