NTT DOCOMO selects AWS to commercially deploy nationwide 5G Open RAN

Japan's leading mobile operator NTT DOCOMO has selected Amazon Web Services (AWS) for the commercial deployment of its nationwide 5G Open Radio Access Network (RAN). The partnership will drive end-to-end resiliency, flexibility, and energy efficiency of the operator's 5G network in Japan.

"AWS has been working with communication service providers for several years to develop solutions in advanced networking, silicon innovation, and edge services for 5G technology. Our goal is to continue to enable truly cloud-native, sustainable and AI-driven 5G networks in AWS Regions and at the edge. We are excited about our journey with NTT DOCOMO to deliver 5G Core and Open RAN with new levels of resiliency, energy efficiency, and customer experiences," said Kathrin Renz, vice president of AWS Industries.

Under this partnership, DOCOMO will use AWS to deploy Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service Anywhere at its 5G Open RAN to simplify network operation with automated cluster management tools, enabling the operator to easily run and optimize its 5G Open RAN.

Amazon EKS Anywhere also facilitates seamless integration with other AWS services in AWS Regions, as operators drive end-to-end cloud-based network transformation from 5G Core network (5G Core) to Operational Support System (OSS) and Business Support System (BSS).

AWS is supporting DOCOMO in the development of its 5G Core on AWS which operates in a hybrid cloud environment. The operator started a series of proofs-of-concept (PoCs) in 2022 using AWS Graviton Processors and Amazon EKS to run its cloud-native 5G Core software in a hybrid cloud environment to mitigate the risks associated with catastrophic events such as floods or typhoons.

DOCOMO was able to reduce power consumption for 5G Core by an average of 72% within a year using its lab environment. The mobile operator also created a high-level carrier-grade redundancy design to seamlessly switch between DOCOMO's on-premises network function virtualization (NFV) and AWS infrastructure, offering a more flexible and cost-effective means to manage network performance and capacity in the event of failures and natural disasters.