AT&T Shifts 5G Core to Microsoft Cloud

AT&T made a deal to shift its 5G core network to Microsoft Azure. The agreement is also involving the sale of its related platform technology to the software giant.

The US operator emphasised it would continue to run its network and control customer relationships, but was seeking to reap the benefit of slashing its engineering and development costs. In a joint statement, Microsoft explained it stands to gain access to the operator’s current Network Cloud platform technology, and associated IP and technical expertise.

Microsoft’s decision to buy the unit will provide the resources required to make “this capability accessible to operators around the world“. Microsoft takes over software development and deployment of AT&T’s Network Cloud immediately, with Azure integration to take place over the next three years.