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Developers will be able to leverage AWS services and partner capabilities in machine learning, analytics, security and more to create responsive solutions that use that data. For instance, they could offer low-latency augmented reality gaming experiences optimized for the user’s device, serve contextual advertis- ing or orchestrate the movements of a robot at a disaster site. “Through this collaboration with AWS, we will operate not just as a commu- nications services provider, but as a digital services provider harnessing the combined power of 5G connectivity and the cloud. Together, we will enable our customers to take full advantage of the potential of 5G,” said Charlie Ergen, DISH co-founder and chairman. “Our approach will revolutionize wireless connectivity by giving customers the ability to customize and scale their network experience on-demand. “As a new carrier, leveraging AWS and its extensive network of partners enables us to differentiate ourselves by operating our 5G network with a high degree of automation, utilizing the talent of AWS-trained developers and helping our customers bring new 5G applica- tions to market faster than ever before.” Ergen added. “This collaboration means DISH and its customers can bring new consumer- and enterprise-centric services to the market as quickly as they’re created to deliver on the promise of 5G,” said Andy Jassy, CEO of Amazon Web Services Inc. “Together, we’re opening the door to new technologies that will transform factories, workplaces, enter- tainment and transportation in ways people have only dreamed.” DISH will use its 5G network to connect mobile and IoT devices includ- ing smartphones, robots, factory equip- ment, wearables and other physical sensors to AWS to offload compute, analytics, machine learning, and related workloads, enabling systems to act on device data in real time. DISH also will be able to leverage AWS to tailor performance for individual custom- er use cases on demand, by optimizing network attributes such as transmission speed or network availability through a process known as “network slicing.” For example, if an enterprise wants to set consistent performance standards for when its customers stream videos, it could request a dedicated network slice that is tailored for high-data-rate video distribution. DISH will tap into AWS’s roster of telecommunications partners, as well as AWS Professional Services, to automate deployment of 5G network slices and deliver results much faster than the months it currently takes with existing manual processes, said the company. By running on AWS, DISH said its 5G network will outpace legacy networks in the speed with which it can facilitate hardware and software upgrades To support real-time workloads at the network edge and process inbound and outbound data from its O-RAN infra- structure, DISH will leverage AWS Local Zones and AWS Outposts. AWS Local Zones are an infrastructure deployment that places AWS compute, storage, database and other select services close to a large population, industry and IT centers for applications requiring single-digit millisecond latency, while AWS Outposts extend AWS infrastruc- ture, services, APIs and tools to virtually any on-premises facility, such as the factory floor or a 5G base station. With this combination of AWS infra- structure, DISH believes it can push its 5G Core to the edge and achieve high performance consistently across its service area, while enabling developers to take full advantage of 5G speeds when building new applications and services. In addition, DISH will use AWS capabilities such as compute, contain- ers, IoT, machine learning and security to process 5G data and run its 5G Core, BSS and OSS at scale while optimizing costs. DISH will use AWS Graviton2- based instances to power its compute workloads (AWS’s custom-designed Graviton2 processors with 64-bit Arm Neoverse cores provide up to 40 percent better price-performance over compa- rable current-generation x86-based instances) and Amazon Elastic Kuber- netes Service (Amazon EKS) to run containerized workloads, helping it deliv- er high availability during periods of peak network use. Running its 5G network over AWS will allow DISH to reduce costs by bypassing the capital expenditure investments typically associated with building and operating network infra- structure hardware. DISH will also apply AWS machine learning capabilities at the network edge to help improve service by predicting network congestion at specific locations, as well as recog- nizing anomalies in network function, and then automatically taking corrective actions to optimize performance. Further, DISH also signed what it calls “a transformative, long-term strate- gic network services agreement (NSA) with AT&T.” The agreement makes AT&T the primary network services partner for DISH MVNO customers. Through this agreement, DISH will provide customers of its retail wireless brands, including Boost Mobile, Ting Mobile and Republic Wireless, access to coverage and connectivity on AT&T’s wireless network, in addition to the DISH 5G network. The agreement accelerates DISH’s expansion of retail wireless distribution to rural markets where DISH provides satellite TV services. AT&T also is providing transport and roaming servic- es as part of the agreement, to support DISH’s 5G network. DISH said it is committed to provid- ing competition in the wireless market as the nation’s fourth facilities-based carrier. The company will continue to build out the nation’s first cloud-native, OpenRAN- based 5G network reaching more than 70 percent of the population by 2023. “Teaming with AT&T on this long-term partnership will allow us to better compete in the retail wireless market and quickly respond to changes in our customers’ evolving connectivity needs as we build our own first-of-its kind 5G network,” said John Swieringa, DISH COO and group president of retail wireless. AT&T 5G is available to 250 million people across the country over sub-6 spectrum and millimeter wave spectrum (AT&T 5G+), which is available in parts of 38 cities. AT&T plans to cover 200 million people across the country with C-band (mid-band) 5G by the end of 2023. “Teaming with DISH on this agree- ment is not only a testament to the strength of our network, but it further validates the investments we’ve made in our fiber and wireless infrastruc- ture,” said Thaddeus Arroyo, CEO, AT&T Consumer. o 22 CHANNEL V ISION | July - August 2021 MOBILE & WIRELESS