AWS sees its telco partnerships as one way to offset slowing growth for cloud services overall in the telecoms industry. The company has been working on a “Telco Network Builder” to help carriers build and scale 5G networks, and a service to manage private wireless networks for enterprises.
The two new services that Amazon is releasing next week at MWC are meant to complement the news that AWS plans to put out next week detailing how it’s working with carriers and is working on building more trust with them through tools to give third-party access to networks. These new services, called AWS Activate and Amazon Compute Engine Carrier Grade Security, will allow developers and businesses to quickly launch innovative applications and services across multiple platforms without having to worry about security or network issues.
Cloud-based technologies have been increasingly popular among telcos as they provide a more flexible, cost-effective way to build and manage cellular networks. By opening up its cloud network so that telcos can plan, run and scale 5G, 4G, and other networks more quickly, Amazon is allowing telcos to take advantage of its already extensive infrastructure while staying compliant with future legislation governing the use of these types of networks.
AWS said that this new process for automatically building out networks will save carriers time and help them keep up with the ever-changing demands of their customers. The platform can quickly and easily draw on AWS compute, storage, and other resources to build a customized network for a customer’s needs. This is likely to be popular with carriers who are always looking for ways to boost network capacity during specific events or fast turnarounds in their services; as people switch services more regularly and companies move from one region of the world to another, it becomes all the more important that networks can get up and running as quickly as possible.
5G has the potential to change the way we live and work, but it won’t be without its challenges. The deployment of 5G networks is a big investment for carriers, so developing new services to generate revenue from these networks is one of their main targets. Building easy-to-use and fast networked services will reduce the costs associated with 5G development, making it more accessible to all. However, while adopting 5G will undoubtedly have positive effects on our lives and businesses, there are still some unknown risks that need to be carefully considered before anything settles into place.
Just like a regular WiFi network, a private wireless network can be used to access the internet and share files. The main difference between a private wireless network and a WiFi network is that private wireless networks are securely connected to the carrier’s own data and voice networks, which means that users can communicate with other customers and employees without worrying about the security of their personal information. This flexibility makes them perfect for small businesses or organizations who need their own dedicated internet connection but don’t have the budget for a full-blown telecom service.
AWS has already built up a massive global footprint for its cloud business, giving it access to a vast amount of network capacity from multiple carriers across the globe. Together, these partners can provide AWS customers with a highly reliable and scalable networ
This would be a streamlined way for enterprises or smaller service providers to get access to AWS’s massive storage and compute resources, but with the added benefits of telco managed network services. This would give small businesses or start-ups access to critical infrastructure without the hassle of installing their own network infrastructure, and allow larger enterprises more flexibility in how they use AWS.
AWS sees its private cloud as a way to bridge the divide between enterprises that want the reliability and security of a private networked infrastructure, and those that just need to use the internet. It does this by managing the infrastructure for customers, providing reliability and security, as well as letting them use all of the features of AWS without having to worry about knowing how to set up their own servers.
While telcos have been traditionally reluctant to partner with Amazon, the company’s ambitions and cloud capabilities present a prime opportunity for carriers. By helping to run telco networks more efficiently, Amazon can help carriers save money while also providing its customers with better customer service and increased reliability.
The collaboration between Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google has been mutually beneficial as the companies all find ways to work together to ensure their respective businesses remain strong. The trust that has formed among these businesses is something that cannot be easily replaced and will be important should any of them decide to go their separate ways.
AWS’s telco networks ambitions likely hinge on its contention to be the best cloud platform for 5G. AWS has been making steady progress towards this goal, most notably with its recent partnership with Ericsson and Nokia.
Given carriers’ increasing focus on communications as a tech service, it will be interesting to see how they define, procure and run such services going forward. Some are looking to work closer with Amazon or other cloud providers in order to offer more flexible and cost-effective options for their customers. It will be interesting to see which carriers succeed in this new market dynamic and how they differentiate themselves from the competition.
