Citymesh offers 5G services in a SaaS model. The solution runs on Nokia technology and AWS cloud infrastructure.
Belgian operator Citymesh is launching a new, commercial 5G Core SaaS service. The offering uses Nokia infrastructure and is hosted in the AWS cloud. With the software-as-a-service model, Citymesh is converting its core network into a subscription service. As a result, the company needs to invest less upfront in infrastructure and reduces the operational complexity of traditional network rollouts.
With this new approach, Citymesh is targeting business customers in various environments. These include event venues, airports, hospitals, offshore installations, and emergency services. Drone operators and transport companies are also part of the target group. Additionally, the platform supports a new mobile offering for freelancers and SMEs.
Subscription model for the core network
The SaaS model makes it possible to activate network capacity and functionality on demand. Operators can assemble services via a catalog and roll out new features faster. Costs follow a subscription formula and grow along with usage.
According to Citymesh, the solution allows for the development of service plans without extensive integration processes or complex telecom engineering. The scalability of the AWS cloud is designed to handle peak loads in various business environments without additional hardware investments.
Citymesh is collaborating with Nokia and Amazon Web Services for this initiative. The 5G Core SaaS solution includes 4G and 5G core functionality, network slicing, an IMS core, IoT services, and security and automation capabilities. Operators can unlock network capacities via APIs without managing hardware themselves.
From concept to production
With this deployment, the 5G Core SaaS model moves from a conceptual phase to a production environment. The architecture utilizes multiple cloud regions to guarantee availability. Security controls must meet the requirements of the telecommunications sector.
The collaboration between the three parties illustrates how telecom operators can build their core networks via a cloud-based subscription model. For Citymesh, this means it can launch new services faster and tailor its offering to different business segments without heavy initial investments in its own infrastructure.