Operators deepen 5G business layout based on cloud computing

In 2018, the global cloud computing market size exceeded US$300 billion, and my country's cloud computing market space is expected to increase to US$70 billion. In recent years, it has maintained an average annual growth rate of more than 30%. Domestic cloud computing has huge room for development.

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Operators should find their correct positioning in the "cloud" era

Telecom operators have the advantage of owning large data centers and broadband networks. In the long run, compared with other companies, telecom operators are better at building a complete chain from terminals to networks to computing. By providing a complete set of cloud service solutions, the cloud computing value chain built by telecom operators will become a clear manifestation of their differentiated advantages. Therefore, at the beginning of cloud computing development, they should customize technology and business strategies around their own advantages, find the right position based on their own advantages, and steadily advance.

Cloud computing will be an opportunity for telecom operators to transform into comprehensive information service providers, releasing the powerful network and computing resources of telecom operators, and gradually becoming a new growth point for operators' business. But first of all, it is necessary to find the right position, give full play to advantages, and accumulate operational experience. At the same time, there should be a perfect technical system and technical standards developed independently, find a strategy for developing customers, and then deepen the commercial layout of cloud computing.

Operators layout cloud computing market

• China Mobile has various data centers planned for the entire network to support the layout of cloud resources for the entire network. In the cloud, China Mobile has a large number of IDC and cloud infrastructure, has established a big data analysis platform, and has developed a large number of solutions for various industries including education, medical care, Internet of Vehicles, e-government, etc. based on cloud, IDC and Internet infrastructure. In terms of network, there is a CDN network throughout the country, with high-quality Internet access capabilities and rich transmission and carrying capabilities.
• China Unicom regards cloud computing as an important strategy for transformation and development. It has doubled the number of Unicom data centers on the existing basis and covered the whole country, providing a full range of cloud computing services of "network + platform + product + application". In March this year, China Unicom launched 7 cloud-network integrated products for the domestic market, among which the four major products of cloud networking, cloud networking, cloud dedicated line and cloud broadband have all realized SDN.
• In May this year, China Unicom WoCloud and Alibaba Cloud once again launched a hybrid cloud solution. Through high-speed dedicated line interconnection, the computing resources on the cloud and the company's existing IT resources are seamlessly integrated, achieving sharing and win-win results for both parties in cloud resources.
• China Telecom is promoting the three transformations: network intelligence, business ecology, and operation intelligence. Tianyi Cloud is the core platform and core capability to carry out the three transformations. China Telecom is also promoting the CTNet2025 plan for network reconstruction based on cloudification and softization. At present, China Telecom's cloud business has established strategic cooperation with 236 cities in 31 provinces, 11 provincial government cloud platforms, more than 60 government service projects, 1,000+ co-built smart cities, 100+ city-level government cloud platforms, and Internet + government services participate in the formulation of national standards.

Facing challenges from Internet giants and smart terminal giants, telecom operators have unique resources and advantages in entering this field. However, in the cloud computing market, telecom operators entered the cloud computing market relatively late. Compared with Internet companies, their operating style is conservative and their reform speed is slow, which has led to some market opportunities being missed. In terms of talent and technology accumulation, the technology and R&D in cloud computing are not enough. These two points need to be paid attention to by telecom operators in the future.

Cloud computing accelerates the arrival of the 5G era

According to the "5G Technology White Paper" released by China Telecom, the future 5G will face challenges such as flexible network architecture, high-speed and low-latency requirements of efficient bearer networks, and cloud computing has the characteristics of large computing power, secure data storage, resource sharing, and low client requirements. It not only promotes the improvement of mobile communication network efficiency, thereby achieving the maximum reduction of mobile communication network optimization costs, but also realizes the integration and optimization of data resources to promote the upgrade and development of communication networks. In the 5G era, the requirements of the Internet of Everything require powerful computing and storage capabilities, which is beneficial to the development of cloud computing. On the contrary, cloud computing also further promotes the development of 5G.

• First, cloud computing makes it possible for 5G to provide users with on-demand services. The number of individuals and families in the mobile Internet is extremely large, and cloud computing can analyze the network usage of user groups, so that 5G networks can adapt to the needs of different groups and provide personalized services.
• Secondly, in the 5G system cloud architecture, the use of cloud computing can directly read and apply data through the network without installing software on the terminal, thereby providing users with fast, low-cost and convenient services, and comprehensively expanding and enriching the service content of the existing mobile Internet.

At the application level, cloud computing has opened up a broader market and ideas for the development of 5G. Cloud computing supports a large number of applications and services, and is an important technical support for the fields of Internet of Vehicles, Internet of Things, smart cities, and telemedicine. The development of cloud computing will greatly promote the innovation and upgrading of these industries.

At the same time, these industries are also key areas for future 5G applications. The "cloud-network synergy" formed by operators' network resources and cloud computing will promote the combination of 5G technology and 5G applications, and accelerate the formation of a 5G industry ecosystem.