Comcast has decided to transition its 5G network to the public cloud platform provided by AWS. This significant move stands to deliver enhanced scalability, security, and cost efficiency for subscribers of Xfinity Mobile and Comcast Business Mobile. By leveraging AWS’s infrastructure, Comcast aims to accelerate innovation, deploy new features promptly, and manage network capacity with ease.
The Nokia-developed 5G mobile packet core will benefit from being integrated into AWS, a choice rooted in AWS’s proven capabilities for supporting network functions. Ishwar Parulkar, CTO of AWS Telecom and Edge Cloud, acknowledged that this step signals the maturity of 5G core workloads, which can now efficiently operate on cloud platforms without extensive preliminary testing or partnership engagements. Parulkar highlighted that the journey to integrate 5G core on the cloud began in collaboration with Dish Wireless back in 2021, marking the development of fully operational cloud-based mobile networks at scale.
The transition to the cloud offers distinct advantages. For telecommunications companies, it provides lower total cost of ownership while simplifying and enhancing operational processes. The cloud infrastructure also opens up possibilities for applications that traditional on-premise setups struggle to accommodate. Importantly, AWS’s global infrastructure aids in enhancing the network’s resilience and security.
Comcast’s collaboration with AWS underscores a shared ambition to explore new customer service avenues and improve network performance. Additional goals include automating more 5G operations, which could transform the landscape for both Comcast and its users. Jan Hofmeyr, Vice President of Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) Edge, expressed enthusiasm about working with Comcast. He emphasized that the partnership will facilitate a cutting-edge 5G network that promises a superior wireless experience while paving the way for future applications within this new framework.
