BT turns to Ubuntu OpenStack for cloud-based 5G delivery

BT expected to complete switch to cloud-based virtualised network by 2022

British telco BT has announced it has chosen Canonical’s Ubuntu OpenStack as the cloud platform to help deliver 5G connectivity to the UK.

Under the deal, Canonical will provide an open source virtual infrastructure manager (VIM) to support BT’s Network Function Virtualisation (NFV) program. NFV enables BT and other telcos to decouple network functions from specialised hardware and instead run them in software.

By making this shift to virtualised cloud-based networks, telcos can deliver the features that drive 5G’s core proposition- the efficient delivery of high volumes of data, low latency communication, network slicing and multi-gigabit speeds.

Turning core network components into software applications also means network teams can shift from periodic updates to continuous development and integration. BT said virtualisation will enable them to deliver new 5G services in weeks and deploy in them days.

OpenStack, a huge cloud project consisting of 50 subprojects, is one cloud platform available to telcos as they make this switch.

Canonical’s distribution of OpenStack offers a few extras on top of the original, and its customers include AT&T, Deutsche Telecom, and Sky.

“Using open source, we are building out our cloud and edge computing platforms to deliver really scalable technology at the edge of the network,” said Neil J McRae, BT group chief architect.”

“This will be a core part of managing and developing applications, giving our developers the freedom and scope to create cutting-edge apps which will support both consumers and industries, particularly from an automation standpoint. This is just one of many things we are doing to enable enterprises to leverage the power of the 5G network.”

BT’s EE mobile network switched on 5G in six UK launch cities on May. The telco expects its cloud-based network to be completed by 2022.