Google Cloud announced 3 new products for Communications Service Providers (CSPs) to help them convert their networks with hybrid cloud technologies.
At MWC XNUMX, the tech giant unveiled Telecom Network Automation, Telecom Data Fabric and Telecom Subscriber Insights, which it claims will give telecom operators an all-in-one cloud solution to build and run a hybrid cloud network. .
The cloud storage provider also ensures that the products will help them "collect and manage data from the network and improve the customer experience of the service through artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics."
Prospects and growth
Google Cloud is also updating its Google Distributed Cloud Edge (opens in a new tab) (GDC Edge) to let CSPs bring cloud to more parts of their radio access networks (RANs) and 5G networks, and introduces the Network Functions Optimizer (opens in a new tab) for Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), so that CSPs can run their network functions in any zone of Google Cloud.
With more than XNUMX% of CSPs expected to migrate to the cloud for network functions by the end of the year, Google estimates that its new Telecom Network Automation will accelerate network and edge deployments using advanced cloud automation tools. .
It's a cloud-based version of the open source project Nephio (opens in a new tab), which Google developed in partnership with the Linux Foundation last year. Google claims that the new telecom network automation will help CSPs "improve time to market, multi-vendor interoperability, reduce fault-prone configurations, and reduce operational costs."
It's now available for private preview around the world, though Bell Canada had access to an early release and is currently using it to "mechanize their Google Distributed Cloud Edge implementation."
"Our partnership with Google Cloud furthers our goal to fully mechanize our core hybrid 5G deployment with control capabilities on top of Google Kubernetes (GKE) and Google Distributed Cloud Edge," said Petri Lyytikainen, vice president, Bell Canada.
Also available for private preview worldwide is the second of Google's recently announced products, Telecom Data Fabric. This is intended to facilitate data collection by CSPs and get information more quickly.
The BigQuery and DataPlex data mesh architecture is used to bring data together and enhance reuse, as well as meet data governance and data sovereignty requirements. It also uses Vertex AI so that CSPs can build AI applications "that support cross-domain network operations, energy efficiency, subscriber experiences, and commercial exploitation."
The third and final product offered by Google, Telecom Subscriber Insights, also uses AI and is developed to help telecom operators incorporate the best strategies to increase service customer engagement, while promising to do it "in a way that is preserve confidentiality." Google thinks this will help CSPs "understand subscriber behavior, cross-sell and up-sell, drive churn, and acquire new service customers more effectively." Again, this is now also available as a private preview around the world.
As network costs continue to rise for telcos, Thomas Kurian, director of Google Cloud, believes that "by applying cloud-native principles to network architectures and accelerating subscriber development through better holistic data, CSPs have the potential to bridge the gap between today's connectivity and tomorrow's connectivity.