Dish Network Corp. has chosen Dell Technologies Inc. as its primary hardware and software partner as it gears up to roll out what it says will be the first cloud-native, Open RAN-based 5G network in the U.S.

In an announcement today, the two companies said they have formed a strategic infrastructure agreement in which Dell will supply Dish with its edge network infrastructure foundation through a combination of hardware, software, services and expertise.

Dish, which is better-known for its satellite TV network, is building its cloud-native, Open-RAN-based 5G network entirely from scratch. An Open-RAN network is one that’s based on new standards for Radio Access Network interfaces that support interoperability among networking vendors’ equipment. RAN interfaces are used by mobile telephony operators to provide wireless connectivity services.

With Open-RAN, the O-RAN Alliance that backs it is trying to transform networking standards in a similar fashion to how the Open Data Center Alliance changed the way modern data centers are built. Today, most large data centers are equipped with an assortment of generic “white-box” servers, networking and storage gear from multiple providers.

Network operators can benefit from Open-RAN then, since it means they’re no longer forced to use proprietary hardware and software from just one company.

Dish’s plan is to use Dell’s hardware and software to create thousands of edge locations for its network scattered throughout the U.S. The idea is that customers will be able to connect to Dish’s 5G network at edge locations close to where they are located in order to minimize latency. That will benefit a wide range of applications that need more rapid response times.

The foundation of this edge network will be Dell EMC’s PowerEdge servers, which will sit in cell tower sites near to customers and also in centralized RAN locations that can provide more compute power. Dish said it’s planning to use the Dell EMC PowerEdge XR11 ruggedized servers to support “far edge locations,” for example, since they’re designed to work under harsh conditions. Meanwhile, it will use Dell EMC’s more powerful R740 and R750 servers to support virtualization and other demanding cloud-native workloads.

Dish said one of the reasons it chose Dell was for its zero-touch provisioning services and its ability to deploy containerized RAN network function, which means the rollout of software and services can be automated across locations. It will also take advantage of Dell’s APEX Flex on Demand service to scale server use up and down as its network requires, only paying for what it uses. Under the terms of the deal, Dell will deliver systems to Dish’s edge locations and provide services and support professionals to help with deployment and lifecycle management.

The companies will also work together to create new machine learning capabilities to monitor the network’s health and proactively predict any problems that might impact performance.

The announcement is much more than just a straightforward business deal, though. For instance, they’re planning to collaborate on the design of new technologies in areas such as Open RAN, SmartNICs, micro-edge colocation and operational automation. This work will entail the creation of technology collaboration teams to develop future technologies that can advance multi-access edge computing, they said.

One initiative that’s already being pushed forward involves the companies designing and certifying new Dell 5G-enabled laptops with Dish’s connectivity options, in a move that wll bring 5G to more people and places, the companies said. The plan is to provide customers with eSIM provisioning capabilities that will allow them to activate 5G connectivity without a physical SIM card on private and shared networks through a “pay for what they use” model.

“We chose to leverage Dell’s technology because they have a demonstrated track record of transforming networks and a willingness to work with us on designing and implementing Infrastructure as Code,” said Dish Chief Network Officer Mar Rouanne. “With their help, we’re another step closer to deploying the United States’ first cloud-native, Open RAN 5G network.”

Besides working with Dell, Dish will also tap Amazon Web Services Inc.’s cloud infrastructure to power its new network. Among other services, it will use AWS Outposts, a hybrid cloud offering that brings Amazon’s infrastructure, services, tools and application programming interfaces to any data center, colocation space or on-premises facility, and AWS Local Zones, which is a deployment option that places services such as compute, storage and databases at edge locations.

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