AWS: Accelerating cloud-native capabilities

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is partnering with and advising communications service providers globally to transform their businesses and modernise their networks. In an interview with tele.net, Jayanth Nagarajan, Head, Telecommunications Industry for Asia Pacific and Japan, at AWS, discussed the key growth areas shaping the next phase of cloud and data centre adoption, and AWS’s strategies in this regard…

What are some of the key trends shaping the telecom and enterprise sectors?

We have seen strong momentum for cloud adoption across enterprises, start-ups, software partners and public sector customers. In telecom, operators are using cloud as a catalyst for innovation. AWS has been helping teams develop and experiment rapidly at minimal cost. This agility is essential as telcos reinvent themselves into “techcos”.

We are also seeing large middleware platforms, business support systems (BSS) and operations support systems (OSS) move rapidly to AWS. As with network equipment providers, we work closely with BSS and OSS partners, from major incumbents to cloud-native players, to enable cloud-based operations that benefit telcos. Many operators are also adopting fully digital BSS stacks to meet evolving customer expectations.

There is a growing focus on front-of-house customer experience. Consumers are increasingly expecting everything to happen through an app. We are reimagining the app experience with several telcos. For instance, One New Zealand now offers a concierge service powered by Amazon Bedrock, while Telkomsel in Indonesia has deployed a root-cause detection platform that has reduced incident detection time. The breadth of innovation we support at AWS is extensive, and we are proud to enable it.

How are you helping telcos in leveraging emerging technologies such as AI, edge computing and 5G?

The growing availability of near-limitless compute and storage, the growing sophistication of algorithms and the exploding volume of data have brought AI to the forefront. We have seen a surge of interest in AI, which in turn is driving demand for digital infrastructure across the Asia-Pacific region, including India. Cloud is playing a key role in enabling and accelerating AI adoption and outcomes.

5G and 6G standards incorporate service-based architecture, well aligned with cloud technology, which is where the innovation should happen. At AWS, we work with telcos, and more critically, with the software partners and network equipment providers that power telecom networks, including Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung, NEC, and Amdocs. We invest in engineering efforts and funding to accelerate the cloud-native capabilities in their software. This benefits telcos, because they gain from cloud-native operations in their networks.

For instance, NTT Docomo in Japan found that running an NEC 5G core on AWS Graviton processors was more energy-efficient than any previous configuration. Graviton also delivered around better price-to-performance compared to other options. We are helping accelerate this transition with operators such as DISH Networks in the US, Telefónica in Germany, Tune Talk in Malaysia, and helping the likes of Telstra with IMS disaster recovery planning and Reliance Jio with engineering their Made in India 5G core stack to benefit from cloud-nativity. Our focus is on enabling them to become more cloud native and realise these efficiency gains.

We are also advancing edge computing and autonomous networks. In the future, networks will increasingly run autonomously with cloud operations and AI. When root-cause analysis runs in the cloud, insights can flow directly to the front-of-house contact centre. Staff can then inform customers proactively. This significantly enhances customer experience. That is, in a nutshell, how we help telcos and enterprises leverage these emerging technologies.

How has AWS advanced on its sustainability commitments so far?

Amazon, one of the founding members of The Climate Pledge, committed early to the Paris Agreement. We have publicly committed to being 100 per cent renewable by 2025, which we met at the end of 2023, seven years ahead of schedule. The company is the world’s largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy, making sustainability a core pillar of its operations.

What are AWS’s key focus areas in India?

We are committed to supporting innovation. AWS launched operations in India in 2011 and now operates regions in Mumbai and Hyderabad, along with local zones in Delhi and Kolkata, as well as 33 points of presence and nine direct connect locations.

Additionally, we have committed $12.7 billion in investments in India through 2030, which is expected to support approximately 131,700 jobs annually at local businesses.

India remains a major priority, and we are investing in AI across user levels, from researchers training large language models to analysts and business users, ensuring access to innovation-enabling technology.