Microsoft joins telecommunications industry to roll out 5G, more

By harnessing the power of Microsoft Azure, on their edge, or in the cloud, operators can transition to a more flexible and scalable model, drive down infrastructure cost, use AI and machine learning (ML) to automate operations and create service differentiation.

Furthermore, a hybrid and hyper-scale infrastructure will provide operators with the agility they need to rapidly innovate and experiment with new 5G services on a programmable network.

"We're building a carrier-grade cloud and bringing more Microsoft technology to the operator's edge. This, in combination with our developer ecosystem, will help operators to future proof their networks, drive down costs, and create new services and business models," the tech giant said in a statement.

The network infrastructure must ensure operators are able to optimize costs and gain efficiencies, while enabling the development of personalized and differentiated services.

"To address the requirements of rolling out 5G, operators will face strong challenges, including high capital expenditure (CapEx) investments, an increased need for scale, automation, and secure management of the massive volume of data it will generate," said Jason Zander Executive Vice President, Microsoft Azure.

More specifically, Microsoft will further support operators as they evolve their infrastructure and operations using technologies such as software-defined networking, network function virtualization, and service-based architectures.

Microsoft has one of the largest networks that connect with operators at more than 170 points of presence and over 20,000 peering connections around the globe, putting direct connectivity within 25 miles of 85 per cent of the world's GDP.

"More than 200 operators have already chosen to integrate with the Azure network through our ExpressRoute service, enabling enterprises and partners to link their corporate networks privately and securely to Azure services," Microsoft said.