Embracing public cloud isn’t easy for telcos
Many telcos are using cloud native applications to help simplify the complexity of 5G network and service deployment. But it is still early days and there are many challenges to address.
22 Jul 2021
Embracing public cloud isn’t easy for telcos
A growing number of communications service providers (CSPs) are partnering with hyperscale cloud providers and using cloud native applications to help simplify the complexity of 5G network and service deployment. But it is still early days and there is much to iron out, as executives from BT, Telefónica Germany, Telenet, Google, Nokia and TM Forum discussed in a recent Telecom TV webinar.
There are several reasons CSPs are moving elements of their IT and network operations to the cloud, including the need to change how they conceive and deliver services as they look to secure a position of strength in 5G ecosystems – even if today it is unclear where the opportunities will lie.
Telefónica Germany has turned to the cloud in part to drive automation. “The role of automation of the hyperscalers…is quite important because it’s obvious that if we have diverse environments…it requires more than just manual configuration,” said Bockfeld.
Currently CSPs typically manage the service delivery domains through to the end customer. This will change with 5G, according to Atul Purohit, Nokia’s Head of Technology, Cloud and Network GBC, Europe. 5G services are likely to be delivered with partners and consist of multiple moving parts, not all of which will be controlled by CSPs. Their systems and networks will have to be much more flexible and automated to cope with a more complex and fluid 5G service environment. And for this they will need orchestration as well as automation.
In addition, Telefónica Germany wants to decouple application deployment from the underlying infrastructure. “The vision we have is that we can deploy our applications, independent of the infrastructure landscape, whereby the infrastructure landscape below will be quite diverse,” Bockfeld said.
Yet CSPs will need standard interfaces to the network if they are to reduce complexity within the multi-cloud environments that most of them are deploying, according to George Glass, Chief Technology Officer, TM Forum. “Unfortunately, for the management [of a] multi-cloud environment an awful lot of the complexity is still being pushed up into the telco domain,” he said.
Glass explained that although components of the network can run on a virtualized infrastructure and be managed across a multi-cloud environment, the interface that allows CSPs to configure, activate, manage and report on those components and create an end-to-end service journey are still vendor specific.
Neil McRae, Managing Director Architecture and Technology Strategy and Chief Architect at BT, however, advises CSPs to allow themselves a margin to differentiate services amid standardization efforts.
Watch the webinar:
There are several reasons CSPs are moving elements of their IT and network operations to the cloud, including the need to change how they conceive and deliver services as they look to secure a position of strength in 5G ecosystems – even if today it is unclear where the opportunities will lie.
“We have to think differently…[for] 5G to not just be another technology step in implementing connectivity, but really enabling new business,” said Jochen Bockfeld, Director Core and Services, Telefónica Germany. “Cloud will be one of the key enablers for that.”
Automation is key
Telefónica Germany has turned to the cloud in part to drive automation. “The role of automation of the hyperscalers…is quite important because it’s obvious that if we have diverse environments…it requires more than just manual configuration,” said Bockfeld.
Currently CSPs typically manage the service delivery domains through to the end customer. This will change with 5G, according to Atul Purohit, Nokia’s Head of Technology, Cloud and Network GBC, Europe. 5G services are likely to be delivered with partners and consist of multiple moving parts, not all of which will be controlled by CSPs. Their systems and networks will have to be much more flexible and automated to cope with a more complex and fluid 5G service environment. And for this they will need orchestration as well as automation.
“The solution of the future will go through a number of different domains,” said Purohit. “We definitely need an end-to-end orchestration and automation platform.”
In addition, Telefónica Germany wants to decouple application deployment from the underlying infrastructure. “The vision we have is that we can deploy our applications, independent of the infrastructure landscape, whereby the infrastructure landscape below will be quite diverse,” Bockfeld said.
Simplify with standards
Yet CSPs will need standard interfaces to the network if they are to reduce complexity within the multi-cloud environments that most of them are deploying, according to George Glass, Chief Technology Officer, TM Forum. “Unfortunately, for the management [of a] multi-cloud environment an awful lot of the complexity is still being pushed up into the telco domain,” he said.
Glass explained that although components of the network can run on a virtualized infrastructure and be managed across a multi-cloud environment, the interface that allows CSPs to configure, activate, manage and report on those components and create an end-to-end service journey are still vendor specific.
“We need to drive standardization into the management and the operations of the network…and actually start to get network-as-a-service and a number of other industry standard Open APIs developed to simplify the management of tomorrow’s cloud native network components,” explained Glass. “If we don’t do that the operators will be left with the complexity of managing multiple network components from a myriad of network vendors, running on a multi-cloud environment. So, they will still end up carrying the majority of the costs for actually delivering the service to the end customer.”
Where’s the secret sauce?
Neil McRae, Managing Director Architecture and Technology Strategy and Chief Architect at BT, however, advises CSPs to allow themselves a margin to differentiate services amid standardization efforts.
“The challenge we face here is: How do you differentiate if we’re all running open source with standard interfaces…and we’re all going to look the same?” he asked. “So, I don't want to be overly standardized – I want to be able to differentiate, so I can go out and build things to make our network run and perform.
“I think there are ways that we can develop things that make things easier for us for sure,” McRae added. “But I think this kind of open everything …to me feels like…becoming the dumb-pipe provider and I’ve got absolutely no intention of doing that.”
Watch the webinar:
