Dell’s OTEL Supports Nokia’s charging and policy management functions for KDDI 5G Core.
When it comes to tackling challenging projects, Dell’s Open Telecom Ecosystem Lab (OTEL) stands ready to support and innovate. Recently, OTEL hosted Nokia for a significant project aimed at validating Nokia’s telco-grade, highly performant 5G core software running on Red Hat OpenShift, the industry’s leading hybrid cloud application platform, powered by Kubernetes and Red Hat OpenStack Services on OpenShift in a KDDI specific optimized architecture. This collaboration, which brought together teams from Dell, Intel®, Nokia, and Red Hat, focused on integrating and validating Nokia’s charging and policy management functions for KDDI Corporation, Japan’s leading telecom operator.
Dell OTEL Facilitates Collaboration and Innovation
Dell Technologies’ OTEL is a hub of innovation where vendors like Intel, Nokia and Red Hat work together to integrate, test and validate cutting-edge cloud-native 5G solutions. While the lab’s primary mission is to test telecom hardware and software, its true value lies in its ability to foster collaboration and support the telecom industry in exploring new, open and multivendor technologies.
When Nokia began the process of deploying their cloud-native 5G Core network functions, they collaborated with Dell and OTEL to bring this vision to life. The project involved deploying Nokia’s 5G software on Red Hat’s OpenShift and Red Hat OpenStack Platform (now Red Hat OpenStack Services on OpenShift) using Dell PowerEdge servers powered by Intel Xeon processors, a configuration reflecting KDDI’s architectural framework in cloud technology.
The Power of Dell Technologies’ Infrastructure
The challenge of KDDI’s unique dual-stack cloud configuration required building a reference architecture from scratch. The project involved extensive collaboration among global teams from Dell, Intel, Nokia and Red Hat. OTEL’s secure connectivity enabled teams from Japan, Singapore, the U.S. and India to work together seamlessly, achieving in a short time what would typically take months in a traditional network lab environment.
OTEL provided the perfect platform for Nokia to accelerate the adoption of their 5G core network functions in KDDI. Dell’s PowerFlex storage and compute solutions helped in addressing these requirements. PowerFlex’s robust capabilities provided the versatile storage and compute power to support Nokia’s 5G Core policy and charging, ensuring seamless integration with Red Hat hybrid cloud platforms.
Dell’s involvement quickly expanded beyond providing hardware – in this case, over two dozen PowerEdge R650 servers featuring 3rd Generation Intel® Xeon® Scalable Processors and Intel® Ethernet Network Adapter E810 – to playing a pivotal role in creating the reference architecture.
From Concept to Reality
With the reference architecture created and validated, and Nokia’s cloud-native functions running at scale, system recovery tests at OTEL provided the assurance and benchmarking data needed for deployment on KDDI’s network. Outcomes from this validation not only benefit specific operators but also sets a precedent for future carriers looking to expand their 5G networks.
Why OTEL is the Best Place for Your Big Ideas
The collaboration between Intel, Dell, Nokia and Red Hat exemplifies why OTEL is the ideal environment to bring your most ambitious projects. It provides an open, fully collaborative space where global teams can create, integrate and validate the next generation of telecom solutions. If you have a groundbreaking idea, bring it to OTEL and discover how Dell Technologies can help turn your vision into reality.
