Ericsson and Google Cloud have expanded their partnership to create an Ericsson Cloud RAN solution that operates on Google Distributed Cloud.
The Ericsson Cloud RAN (Radio Access Network) offering will include automation and orchestration capabilities.
It also leverages Google Cloud’s artificial intelligence and machine learning to provide communication service providers (CSPs) with faster delivery of services, greater efficiency, and increased flexibility and optimisation opportunities in their networks.
Mårten Lerner, Head of Product Line Cloud RAN, Ericsson, commented on the expanded partnership:
“This partnership enables us to deepen and expand our valuable collaboration with Google Cloud, and it opens new opportunities for operators to utilize the benefits of cloud-native solutions and automation.
“Ericsson remains committed to ensuring the adaptability of its Cloud RAN applications on diverse cloud infrastructures, offering operators enhanced flexibility and choice in deploying Cloud RAN as well as supporting the evolving hybrid cloud architectures together with Google Cloud.”
Google Distributed Cloud (GDC) is a portfolio of fully managed hardware and software, bringing Google Cloud’s infrastructure and services to the edge and data centres.
Ericsson vDU and cCU on GDC Edge have been successfully implemented by the teams and it is running live in the Ericsson Open Lab in Ottawa, Canada, with a mutual ambition for market development.
Enabling Ericsson Cloud RAN on GDC Edge allows CSPs to use Google Cloud Vertex AI, BigQuery, and other services, to better harness the huge data sets provided by Cloud RAN applications. As a result, new opportunities emerge for CSPs to improve their RAN infrastructure.
Ericsson Cloud RAN gives CSPs more choice over network creation that uses open standards and interfaces with multiple vendors.
The solution is ‘infrastructure agnostic’, meaning RAN applications can be deployed on an infrastructure selected by the CSP. Ericsson collaborates with its partners and alters its Cloud RAN applications to run on different infrastructures and configurations.
Ericsson and Google Cloud chose a cloud-native automation approach to network workloads by utilising the Linux Foundation open-source Nephio, a Kubernetes-based automation platform for deploying and managing workloads, such as 5G network functions.
Gabriele Di Piazza, Senior Director, Telecom Products, Google Cloud, spoke about the addition of Ericsson Cloud RAN to its GDC:
“We’re proud to enable Ericsson Cloud RAN to run on Google Distributed Cloud Edge infrastructure, which includes access to our AI/ML capabilities as well as cloud-native automations.
“We’re delighted to recognize Ericsson as a distinguished Google Cloud Partner and look forward to a continued strong partnership in support of our mutual customers.”
Google Cloud is not Ericsson’s only partner. The company held its 2023 global partner conference, ‘iPECS, Future Together’, in March this year. Ericsson used the event to highlight its commitment to innovation and communicate its vision and strategy to partners, which is to offer customers an easy migration path to the cloud.
Google Cloud has been busy building partnerships over the past couple of years. In November 2022, Google Cloud partnered with TD SYNNEX, which brought it into the United States public sector.
In March 2022, Google Cloud announced a five-year strategic partnership with BT to revamp BT Digital’s services.
