According to the CEO of Dish Network, the partnership with AWS will bring automation to the network and make it easier for developers to create new 5G applications.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Dish Network Corporation have announced that Dish will be using Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) to host its RAN and mobile core for both public and private 5G networks.
Dish also announced that Las Vegas will be the first live city in its network deployment. Dish has committed to the FCC to build a network that can serve 70% of the US population by June 2023
It will use AWSs infrastructure and services to deploy a cloud-native 5G network that incorporates Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) the antennas and base stations that link phones and other wireless devices to the network and the 5G Core the logical architecture that directs traffic flow within the network.
In addition, Dish will use AWS Outposts and AWS Local Zones to build its network in the cloud, and AWS will power Dishs fully automated Operation and Business Support Systems (OSS and BSS).
By building its network on AWS, Dish is also simplifying the process for developers to create new 5G applications. Dish developers and customers, as well as the AWS developer community, will be able to create innovative 5G solutions across a variety of industries by leveraging standardised application programming interfaces (APIs) to engage with data on Dish network attributes such as user equipment latency, bit rate, quality of service, and equipment location. Developers can then leverage AWS services and partner capabilities in machine learning, analytics, security, and more to create responsive solutions that use that data.
Commenting on the partnership, Charlie Ergen, Dish co-founder and chairman, said: Through this collaboration with AWS, we will operate not just as a communications services provider, but as a digital services provider harnessing the combined power of 5G connectivity and the cloud. Together, we will enable our customers to take full advantage of the potential of 5G. Our approach will revolutionize wireless connectivity by giving customers the ability to customise and scale their network experience on-demand. As a new carrier, leveraging AWS and its extensive network of partners enables us to differentiate ourselves by operating our 5G network with a high degree of automation, utilising the talent of AWS-trained developers and helping our customers bring new 5G applications to market faster than ever before.
Andy Jassy, CEO of Amazon Web Services, Inc, added: Dishs cloud-native and truly virtualized 5G network is a clear example of how AWS customers can use our proven infrastructure and unparalleled portfolio of services to reinvent industries. This collaboration means Dish and its customers can bring new consumer- and enterprise-centric services to the market as quickly as theyre created to deliver on the promise of 5G. Together, were opening the door to new technologies that will transform factories, workplaces, entertainment, and transportation in ways people have only dreamed.
Dish will use its 5G network to connect mobile and IoT devices like smartphones, robots, factory equipment, wearables, and other physical sensors to AWS to offload compute, analytics, machine learning, and related workloads, enabling systems to act on device data in real-time.
Dish can also leverage AWS to tailor performance for individual customer use cases on demand, by optimizing network attributes such as transmission speed or network availability through a process known as network slicing.
It will use AWS capabilities such as compute, containers, IoT, machine learning, and security to process 5G data and run its 5G Core, BSS, and OSS at scale while optimising costs. Running its 5G network over AWS will allow Dish to further reduce costs by bypassing the capital expenditure investments typically associated with building and operating network infrastructure hardware.
