Dish chooses VMware Telco Cloud platform to deploy 5G in US

US satellite TV provider Dish Network announced on Friday it has chosen the VMware Telco Cloud platform to deploy its 5G, cloud-native open radio access network (O-RAN).

Dish explained the platform will enable it to test vendor software and dynamically move and scale workloads within the cloud based on consumer demand.

Dish says the VMware Telco Cloud will enable it to test and use software from other vendors to help optimize and accelerate its nationwide 5G network deployment.

The platform will provide Dish with enhanced automation, resiliency, security and flexibility too. It will also allow Dish to leverage hyper-scale public cloud capacity where needed while maintaining core control points.

“VMware software will serve as a powerful foundation for our cloud-native, software-defined 5G network,” said Marc Rouanne, executive vice president and chief network officer at Dish.

“By bringing together innovations such as the distributed cloud, edge computing and network slicing, this software will help us provide our customers with customizable, secure solutions that will be more cost-effective than legacy, vertically-integrated, hardware-reliant alternatives,” Rouanne continued.

Shekar Ayyar, executive vice president and general manager of the telco and edge cloud business unit at VMware, added: “We’re excited to work with Dish to architect and build a state-of-the-art, nationwide cloud-first 5G mobile network platform.

"This software-led approach will enable Dish to innovate and deliver new services to all types of customers – enterprise, small business, and consumer – across the U.S.”

Dish previously announced Japan's Fujitsu and US companies Altiostar and Mavenir would supply various parts of the 5G network. Per a deal with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Dish has also agreed to deploy 5G services to at least 70% of the U.S. population by June 2023 or pay a fine of up to $2.2 billion.