From core to RAN to edge, Dell Technologies is taking an ecosystem-first approach to telecom transformation
At Mobile World Congress, Dell Technologies showcased how it’s helping communications service providers (CSPs) transform their entire network to an open, disaggregated, cloud-native architecture—beginning with the core network as a natural starting point. The bigger picture here is Dell’s announcement of its Open Telecom Transformation Program, which offers a full range of advisory, implementation, support, adoption, and managed services. The program is designed to help CSPs confidently transform their networks to a cloud-native, horizontal cloud architecture without locking into a specific vendor or architectural approach.
“Core for your network would be the most important area to start for this entire transformation program if you are on your journey towards your disaggregation landscape,” said Soumava Dutta, principal engineer architect at Dell Technologies.
That core transformation journey can leverage Dell’s Telecom Infrastructure Blocks—pre-engineered, validated, and certified systems that give CSPs a fast path to deploying cloud-native 5G core, OSS/BSS, and AI workloads. These systems include the container-as-a-service (CaaS) layer of the operator’s choice, paired with automated lifecycle management capabilities provided by Dell’s Infrastructure Automation Suite. Together, these solutions ensure smooth, scalable deployment of critical workloads.
“Dell does not only provide you the best-in-class infrastructure,” Dutta said. “We also layer through our DTIB offering the CaaS layer of your choice. Everything is glued together with the infrastructure automation suite.”
At the heart of Dell’s telecom infrastructure portfolio is the Dell PowerEdge XR8000, a short-depth, high-density, multi-node, and ruggedized server designed specifically for telecom environments. Its front-facing I/O and modular design make it ideal for deployment anywhere from the far edge to the distributed core.
“Our main portfolio of XR8000 does not only work on one specific domain,” Dutta said. “It works horizontally across everything—from RAN, distributed core, or even your AI workloads, ensuring its modularity in the nature of the design itself.”
Tomi Varonen, principal global enterprise architect at Dell Technologies, added that the XR8000 is “the ultimate in scalability and modularity,” capable of supporting chained chassis deployments and a wide range of workloads.
The company’s Open Telecom Ecosystem Labs (OTELs) plays a key role in this transformation journey. It serves as a neutral testing ground where Dell and its partners validate full-stack solutions for interoperability and performance. This includes workloads from partners like Ciena, a5G networks, 6Wind, Kinetica, Attocore, Napatech, Summa Networks, Bloombase, Edgility, Ubuntu, Red Hat, WindRiver, and SUSE—all of which are certified to run on the XR8000.
From cloud-native 5G cores to AI/ML-powered analytics, Dell’s ecosystem-first approach is designed to meet CSPs wherever they are on their journey to openness and disaggregation.
“We are helping CSPs on their core network, OSS/BSS domain journey, and especially how we can facilitate more risk-free transformation into an open and horizontal telco cloud,” said Varonen. Dell’s full-stack, modular approach empowers CSPs to adopt modern cloud principles without abandoning reliability, service assurance, or performance.
As networks evolve to support next-gen services and AI-native capabilities, Dell’s Cloud Core and related offerings provide the building blocks CSPs need to modernize with confidence. With a combination of modular hardware, validated software stacks, automation tools, and end-to-end telecom services, Dell is positioning itself as a trusted partner in simplifying and de-risking telecom transformation.
For more information, read this eGuide, “Simplify your cloud core transformation.”
