5G SA: Is it too late for the slow movers to monetise?
In this annual update to our Telco Cloud Deployment Tracker we focus on 5G core, vRAN/open RAN and cloud-native container orchestration platform deployments by telcos.
Tag Archives: vRAN
Telco cloud deployment tracker Q1 2025: The various flavours of open RAN
Most large-scale deployments of virtualised RAN (vRAN) at Tier 1 telcos are currently based on single-vendor architecture. But operators are deploying vRAN in innovative ways that aim to preserve many open RAN benefits. This report looks at the current status of vRAN and open RAN deployments as well as the increasing awareness of the importance of deploying cloud-native RAN across multiple containers-as-a-service (CaaS) layers.
Telco Cloud Deployment Tracker Q2 2024: Is AWS winning in hyperscale telco cloud?
Telco cloud deployment activity slowed down in Q2 2024 with only 20 deployments added to the tracker, eight of which were completed in earlier years. The remaining 12 included five 5G NSA cores (four already launched) and three SA cores, all of which we expect to go live by the end of 2024. In this report we analyse the prospects for 5G SA including a deep-dive on the state of deployments on the public cloud.
Telco Cloud Deployment Tracker Q1 2024: Cloud-native gathers momentum
Telco cloud activity in 2024 is showing signs of growing momentum with 72 deployments in the year to date, in contrast to 90 for the whole of 2023. Even though many of these deployments are announced but yet to complete in 2024, there are improving prospects for vRAN and open RAN, alongside a positive outlook for 5G standalone.
Advancing sustainability through network automation
Operators who neglect sustainability throughout their network automation journeys may miss out on synergistic energy saving opportunities. We explore five automation applications that reduce emissions and outline how operators can maximise sustainability outcomes in their network automation journeys.
MWC 2024: More than AI and APIs
STL Partners’ Research team present their observations from and analysis of the biggest mobile industry event of the year. There was a lot of buzz around AI and API but behind the tech jargon, we saw evidence that our industry continues to morph to become more open and customer-focused.
Edge sustainability: Navigating strategies for success
Edge computing presents unique challenges and limitations when compared to traditional data centres. This report provides practical guidance for edge operators aiming to achieve sustainability goals.
Telco Cloud Deployment Tracker Q4 2023: Year-in-review
2023 concluded with 87 telco cloud deployments in our tracker. In this edition, we present the most popular vendor stacks for vRAN/open RAN and the main rationales behind the 11 5G SA launches last year.
Multivendor telco cloud: Mapping the pathway to success
As operators embark on their telco cloud journeys, what should they look out for and what lessons can they learn from others? This report analyses the strategies and progress of four operators leading the way in telco cloud transformation and sheds light on the lessons learned from their initial deployments.
Telco Cloud Deployment Tracker Q3 2023: When will the pace pick up?
The industry is still on track to deliver 5G Standalone and various types of virtualised RAN – but progress is a lot slower than originally expected. In this update of the Telco Cloud Deployment Tracker, we look beneath the hood of the numbers to assess what if anything will accelerate growth in 2024.
Five ways to get open RAN deployment back on track
The first commercial deployments of open RAN networks have been announced. But operators are unsure whether to deploy quickly for first-mover advantage or play it safe and wait for more proof points. We explore the causes of open RAN inertia and how operators can get deployments back on track.
MWC 2023: You are now in a new industry
We found subtle but significant shifts at the GSMA’s Mobile World Congress 2023 that show how the market’s need is changing to ‘connecting technologies’ rather than ‘connectivity’. This has deep implications for the industry and telcos in particular.
Telco Cloud Deployment Tracker: Deploying NFs on public cloud without losing control
In this update, we present a review of telco cloud deployments for the whole of 2022 and discuss trends that will shape the year ahead. Fewer deployments than expected were completed in 2022. The main reason for this was a delay in previously announced 5G Standalone (SA) core roll-outs, for reasons we have analysed elsewhere. However, we expect these deployments to be largely completed in 2023.
The Telco Cloud Manifesto 2.0
Co-operation with hyperscalers can reap rewards – but only if telcos complete the hard work of cloudification first.
Telco Cloud Deployment Tracker: Will vRAN eclipse pure open RAN?
In this update, we present data and analysis on progress with deployments of vRAN and open RAN. It is fair to say that open RAN (virtualised AND disaggregated RAN) deployments have not happened at the pace that STL Partners and many others had forecast. In parallel, some very significant deployments and developments are occurring with vRAN (virtualised NOT disaggregated RAN). Is open RAN a networking ideal that is not yet, or never will be, deployed in its purest form?
Building a green network: Sustainability game changers
Networks consume more than 75% of all the electricity a typical service provider uses in one year. We explore five game changing strategies that can be implemented today to help build greener networks.
Telco Cloud Deployment Tracker: Open RAN deep dive
In this update we present more granular data into the RAN to track the shift towards disaggregation across vendor ecosystems. It is still very early days with open RAN and vRAN, with 33 deployments in total, but we expect this to accelerate over the coming year.