VMware has showcased deployment of the VMware Telco Cloud platform by global communications service providers (CSPs) — at the Mobile World Congress (MWC 2023) in Barcelona.

VMware Telco Cloud Platform

CSPs are accelerating the pace of 5G and Open RAN deployments to meet the demands of consumers and enterprises.

SoftBank has achieved two key objectives working with VMware. By adopting a horizontal, digital infrastructure for their 5G core network, SoftBank can more unify their architecture aimed at increased efficiencies and improved automation. Building on the VMware Telco Cloud Platform allows SoftBank to accelerate time to market for deploying new, innovative services and giving them a competitive edge. Read the blog post for details.

Vodafone Qatar has selected the VMware Telco Cloud Platform as the platform for modernizing their network. This will enable the company to apply the power of 5G, cloud and modern infrastructures to bring new services to market.

The adoption of VMware Telco Cloud Platform-5G Edition will support Vodafone Qatar on its journey to containerize core network functions, empowering its new 5G network with a common Containers as a Service (CaaS) platform and enable them with more flexibility and choice of 5G network function workloads.

Ramy Boctor, Chief Technology Officer at Vodafone Qatar, said: “These solutions from VMware will support us in adopting modern infrastructures, speeding up our application development and bringing innovation to market faster.”

By deploying VMware Cloud Foundation with Tanzu, Vodafone Qatar is evolving its existing SDDC environment to a more modern, automated and developer-ready IT infrastructure. The service provider will benefit from integrated cloud management capabilities spanning private and public clouds, with enhanced operational simplicity giving it the freedom to run applications anywhere.

Vodafone Qatar is deploying the solutions with the support of VMware Professional Services. Through the VMware Success 360 Standard for Telecom offering, a local VMware Technical Account Manager is helping Vodafone Qatar accelerate time-to-value with the new solutions.

 

“We’ve evolved the telco and edge digital infrastructure by providing CSPs a cloud-smart approach that delivers more flexibility and greater efficiency, from both a technology and an operational perspective,” said Sanjay Uppal, senior vice president and general manager, Service Provider and Edge, VMware.

Open RAN Programmability

VMware highlighted its expanding ecosystem of rApp and xApp partners by hosting a rAppathon, an app development challenge. In concert with Intel, VMware is gathering developers from seven partners to pitch their xApp and rApp RAN applications developed on the VMware RIC platform to a panel of expert judges in the telecom industry that will declare a winner based on innovation, business and network impact and network sustainability.

RAN partners

NTT DATA and VMware announced an expanded partnership to help expedite CSPs’ ability to leverage best practices and Open RAN large scale deployment know-how, including instantiation, configuration, testing and operation of cloud native functions (CNFs) on either new or existing network deployments.

Samsung Electronics and VMware  announced their first virtual network launch, with the integration of Samsung’s virtualized RAN with VMware Telco Cloud Platform as a part of the DISH 5G network buildout.

VMware is collaborating with Samsung on building the foremost network architecture to support the DISH Wireless traffic on their cloud-native Open RAN 5G network. Samsung has been supporting DISH since last year, when it was selected for the deployment of 5G Open Radio Access Network solutions across the DISH 5G network.

VMware has also collaborated with Samsung on 5G Core, which is responsible for key functions within a mobile network—User Plane Function (UPF), Network Slicing Selection Function (NSSF), Session Management Function (SMF), Access and Mobility Function (AMF) and Network Repository Function (NRF)—on the VMware Telco Cloud Platform.

VMware introduced new and enhanced offerings to help CSPs more quickly modernize their networks and monetize new services.

VMware introduced its vision for the Service Management and Orchestration framework, which follows the O-RAN alliance’s approach of simplifying, optimizing and automating the RAN and its applications. VMware is leveraging its suite of telco cloud management and orchestration solutions including VMware Centralized RIC (non-real-time RIC), VMware Telco Cloud Automation, and VMware Telco Cloud Service Assurance.

VMware unveiled Project Kauai, a technical preview, to provide CSPs with more options for deploying a modern and disaggregated RAN. Project Kauai will complement the hypervisor by allowing them to run virtualized and disaggregated RAN functions directly on a bare metal server with VMware Tanzu. Project Kauai is expected to provide CSPs with greater choice and flexibility particularly in the most demanding areas of their RAN – far edge cell sites.

VMware also announced it is delivering new and enhanced edge connectivity and intelligent wireless capabilities to its SD-WAN and SASE customers.

VMware is now inviting select customers and partners to evaluate the VMware SD-WAN Client across remote user and edge device use cases. VMware SD-WAN Client is expected to be available in VMware’s Q1 FY24.

Tests have shown VMware SD-WAN can provide over more than 40 percent improvement in QoE for voice and video applications when using satellite and cellular.

VMware also introduced a VMware Certified Professional education program and certificate for VMware SD-WAN and SASE to help partners and customers identify professionals with the skills and expertise necessary to effectively deploy and manage VMware SD-WAN solutions.