• O2 Telefónica says “selected customers” will be able to benefit from the cloud core when using the operator’s standalone 5G network

• The operator aims to move “at least 30-40%” of its customer base by 2025-2026

• A Reuters report suggested that O2 Telefónica first worked with AWS and Sweden-based Ericsson, and then swapped to Nokia and AWS

Telefónica Deutschland (O2 Telefónica) hailed what it described as a first for an existing telecoms operator: the launch of a new 5G core network that is built entirely in the cloud, specifically the AWS cloud. O2’s 5G Cloud Core uses cloud-native 5G core architecture from Finland-based Nokia and is run in the AWS cloud computing environment.

While a small handful of greenfield operators are building cloud-native 5G networks from scratch, namely 1&1 in Germany, Dish in the United States, and Rakuten Mobile in Japan, moving an existing network and customers to the cloud is a somewhat different proposition for more established operators.operators

According to O2 Telefónica, “selected customers” will be able to benefit from the cloud core when using the operator’s standalone 5G network, dubbed 5G Plus. Around 1 million 5G customers will be moved to the cloud core in the first phase.

“With the new 5G Cloud Core, we are moving away from traditional architectures and instead focusing on modern, high-performance, and efficient network technologies. In doing so, we are relying on the quality and global expertise of Nokia and AWS,” commented by Mallik Rao, chief technology and information officer of O2 Telefónica.

Raghav Sahgal, president of cloud and network services at Nokia, also noted that deployment is the “first of its kind for an existing communications service provider” and enables “greater network agility and service offerings.”

Writing on LinkedIn, Fabio Cerone, general manager telecom EMEA at AWS, said this was a “big day” for AWS in the telecoms industry. “It will bring O2 Telefónica the ability to dynamically scale and allocate 5G network capabilities to meet customer needs, as well as the needs of the new applications that will run on top of the new core,” he said.

AWS vice president Jan Hofmeyr told Reuters that the cloud services provider wants to “make it a business to run telco workloads” and expects more deals with other operators in the next 12 months.

In a blog, AWS said it is increasingly seeing more telecom operators “recognizing the value of moving network workloads to the cloud.” It pointed to the announcement by NTT DoCoMo earlier this year that it will work with AWS to commercially deploy its 5G open radio access network (RAN) in Japan, and also noted it is working with Dish.

Mix it up

Also in an interview with Reuters, Rao said he aims to move “at least 30-40%” of the O2 Telefónica customer base by 2025-2026, once the cloud core had been “working for at least one to two quarters.” The operator has around 45 million mobile customers in Germany.

The Reuters report additionally suggested that O2 Telefónica first worked with AWS and Sweden-based Ericsson, and then swapped to Nokia and AWS.

Indeed, in 2020 the operator had announced it was working with AWS to virtualize its 5G core and would rely on 5G core and orchestration components from the Swedish vendor.

However, O2 Telefónica said there was no collaboration with Ericsson and AWS regarding the 5G cloud core, so there had been no swap.

The operator noted that Ericsson is the supplier of its classic 5G core network, and pointed to 5G cloud core network tests with Ericsson and Google, as well as a cooperation between O2 Telefónica and Ericsson on the RAN as part of a joint cloud RAN/open RAN test.

Overall, O2 Telefónica said it is pursuing a multi-cloud and multi-vendor strategy. Indeed, the operator just launched its first virtual RAN and open RAN site in collaboration with Samsung.

HAMBURG : Ocean Network Express (ONE) announced that together with their long-term partner Ancotrans, they will deploy state-of-the-art Volvo FH e-trucks, to serve the transportation needs of ONE’s customers, marking a significant step in reducing carbon emissions. Since becoming ISO 14001 certified for inland operations in 2021, global shipping line, Ocean Network Express (ONE) has been offering their customers greener transport options.

One of the first deployments of FH e-trucks in the Hamburg region, the new trucks boast high-performance 540 kW batteries, with a range of 320 km and can be charged overnight at Ancotrans’ facilities using 100% renewable energy. As an example, ONE’s customer Yamaha can transport cargo from the Port of Hamburg to nearby location, Sittensen with a minimum 50% reduction in CO2 emissions – when the trucks are charged on the road, increasing to 100% when charged at Ancotrans facilities.

Takahiro Kikuchi, Managing Director and Region Head of Ocean Network Express (Europe) Ltd said, “We are dedicated to making supply chains greener for our customers. Through working together at all points of the supply chain we can collectively make a big difference in reducing carbon emissions. The use of e-trucks is just one of the many steps on ONE’s journey to achieve net zero by 2050. We thank Ancotrans and our customers for taking these steps with us.”

Arne Kraeft, Country Manager, Ancotrans Germany, says: “Embracing a more sustainable future, we sincerely thank ONE for joining us in the electrification journey. As we electrify our fleet, we are not only embracing innovation but collectively contributing to a greener future. ONE’s commitment to join us in this transition aligns with our shared vision for a more environmentally conscious transportation industry. Together, we’re on the road to reduction, creating a better future, one container at a time.”

ONE’s goal to achieve net zero by 2050 includes scope 3 emissions from external suppliers. This can only be achieved in close cooperation with all members of the supply chain. ONE looks forward to continued collaboration with their partners and customers to make journeys greener for all.

Mining company Sigma Lithium inked a deal with Nokia and systems integrator Alcon to install a private LTE campus network to support its operations, a deployment expected to improve worker safety and productivity.

The network will be used to connect 200 employees and support a range of industrial applications at a mining site in Brazil, with the aim of boosting productivity and creating operational efficiencies.

Workers will be connected to the network through certified rugged devices and use a range of applications based-on industrial edge computing to improve safety and increase productivity. Apps to be supported include voice and video communications and smart badge systems.

Nokia claimed the deployment represented the first LTE private network in the Americas to support Lithium mining, while highlighting the importance of the metal in battery production for the likes of electric vehicles and solar energy storage.

Sigma Lithium is aiming to produce next-generation electric vehicle batteries in a carbon neutral way; the Finnish vendor claimed this would be aided by the installation of the network.