AWS, DISH partner to reinvent 5G in telecom industry first
In a first for the telecoms industry, Amazon Web Services, Inc.(AWS) and DISH Net Corporation are collaborating to reinvent 5G connectivity and innovation.
In this collaboration, DISH will construct its 5G network on AWS cloud, marking the first time a 5G network will be run in the cloud, with both companies transforming how organisations and customers, including AWS and Amazon, order and consum 5G services or create their own private 5G networks.
This will mean the first-ever deployment of a standalone, cloud-based 5G Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) in the US, with Las Vegas the first city in the nationwide network deployment later this year.
“DISH’s cloud-native and truly virtualised 5G network is a clear example of how AWS customers can use our proven infrastructure and unparalleled portfolio of services to reinvent industries,” says Andy Jassy, CEO of AWS. “This collaboration means DISH and its customers can bring new consumer- and enterprise-centric services to the market as quickly as they’re created to deliver on the promise of 5G.”
So, how exactly will it work?
DISH will connect all of its hardware and network management resources through the world’s leading cloud to enable secure, rapid scaling and innovation in addition to on-demand responsiveness to customers’ wireless needs. As DISH deploys its network, it will partner exclusively with vendors offering cloud-native technology, bringing them together on AWA to provide DISH customers greater flexibility and control of their 5G-enabled solutions.
DISH will leverage AWS infrastructure and services to deploy what will be the first-ever standalone, cloud-based 5G network that incorporates O-RAN (the antennas and base stations that linke phones and other wireless devices to the network) and the 5G Core (the logial architecture that directs trafflic flow within the network).
Opening the door to new technologies
By building its network on AWS, DISH is simplifying the process for developers to create innovative, new 5G applications industry-wide by leveraging standardised APIs to engage with data on equipment location. Developers can then leverage AE services and partner capabilities in machine learning, analytics, security etc. in order to create responsive solutions that use that data.
“Together, we’re opening the door to new technologies that will transform factories, workplaces, entertainment, and transportation in ways people have only dreamed,” adds Jassy.
5G wireless is rapidly emerging as an enabling technology for industry use cases such as smart factorise, personalised healthcare, self-driving vehicles and immersive gaming that requires extreme low latency. DISH will use its 5G network to connect mobile and IoT devices like smartphones, robots, factory equipment, wearables, and other physical sensors to AWS to offload compute, analytics, machine learning, and related nteworks, enabling systems to act on device data in real time.
Through this collaboration, says Charlie Ergen, DISH co-founder and chairman, DISH will harness the power of 5G connectivity and the cloud, “enabling customers to take full advantage of the potential of 55” and will revolutionise wireless connectivity by “giving customers the ability to customise and scale their network experience on demand”.
