UAE-based telco du announced at Mobile World Congress 2025 on Thursday it is collaborating with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Nokia to implement 5G cloud RAN technology in its network.
Under the collaboration deal, du will deploy Nokia’s Cloud RAN solution using AWS’s cloud services to explore and develop key use cases in wireless networks as well as the RAN edge.
Du said this will give it maximum flexibility to commercially deploy cloud RAN alongside its purpose-built network under a hybrid RAN architecture while maintaining feature and performance consistency.
More specifically, the Nokia Cloud RAN architecture will be deployed using a microservices-based cloud RAN software running on AWS cloud infrastructure with on-premises AWS Outposts. Du will test centralized and distributed workload deployments using on-premises AWS Outpost servers at RAN sites. Meanwhile, AWS’s cloud continuum – spanning regions and outposts – will enable the telco to support diverse architectures and use cases.
The AWS cloud continuum will reach the furthest edge of the du 5G network under a common automation, observability and security framework. Du said this will ensure faster time to market for monetizing new 5G use cases.
Du also plans to leverage Amazon EKS and AWS Telco Network Builder (TNB) for scalable management and automation across deployment models.
“5G cloud RAN will enhance our network's efficiency and flexibility and enable us to explore new opportunities and services that can deliver genuine value to our customers and society at large,” said du CTO Saleem AlBlooshi in a statement.
