- Red Hat says its contract with T-Mobile goes beyond the usual containerization
- The open source vendor is ramping up activities with operators across the globe
- They’re all focusing more on common platform architectures versus building vertical stacks
MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS, BARCELONA – Red Hat recently added quite the feather to its cap with the news that its OpenShift will power T-Mobile’s common telco cloud across its core and far edge business.
It’s a significant strategic agreement for Red Hat, according to Fran Heeran, VP of Global Telecommunications at Red Hat and former Nokia exec.
“It's more than just a container platform,” he told reporters during a recent media briefing. “It's a suite of applications including the container platform itself, the OpenShift platform, but it also comes with the cluster management platform for life cycle management, cluster security, software-defined storage and the central registry. So it's the full suite of applications.”
It’s also indicative of other engagements Red Hat is striking with large and small operators around the globe, he said. They’re focusing more on common platform architectures versus building vertical stacks.
Here’s a rundown of some of the other deals Red Hat is talking about this week:
- Japan’s SoftBank will use Red Hat OpenShift as part of efforts to implement AI-RAN to optimize power consumption and networking performance. With this collaboration, Red Hat and SoftBank say they’re addressing many of the long-standing RAN implementation challenges that service providers face, including balancing user demands with energy costs and managing deterministic and distributed workloads.
- Singapore’s StarHub implemented a hybrid multi-cloud solution, Cloud Infinity, built on Red Hat OpenShift, the hybrid cloud application platform powered by Kubernetes. “With this collaboration, StarHub recognizes Red Hat OpenShift as its preferred reference platform to accelerate hybrid cloud transformation and cloud-native workloads,” according to a Red Hat press release.
- In Kenya, Safaricom deployed Red Hat OpenShift as a common cloud platform for applications, including the M-PESA system. Fun fact: Safaricom has more than 45 million subscribers and the widest modern mobile network coverage in Kenya.
- Red Hat is working with Japan’s KDDI to develop and deploy an open RAN built on Red Hat OpenShift. One of the main objectives here is to streamline operations via a faster method for open RAN software installation and upgrades that reduce service downtime due to maintenance.
- France’s Orange is collaborating with Red Hat to provide the underlying common telco cloud foundation for Orange International Networks. It’s all designed to unify Orange’s containerized and virtual network functions with Red Hat OpenShift and Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform.
- Fujitsu has chosen Red Hat OpenShift as its preferred hybrid cloud platform to deliver a cloud-native, AI-ready vRAN solution, with the intention of helping service providers achieve improved efficiency and network optimization.
- Finally, Red Hat will provide Rakuten Mobile access to its technology and expertise in managing complex, expansive Linux estates while enabling Rakuten’s own experts to focus on innovating and enhancing the customer experience. In addition, Red Hat will provide the same solutions to Rakuten Symphony.
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