Photo: Via Satellite

Dish Network Corporation has selected Amazon Web Services (AWS) as its preferred cloud provider and will construct its 5G network on AWS, the companies announced Wednesday. 

Dish also announced that Las Vegas will be the first live city in its network deployment. Dish has committed to the FCC to build a network that can serve 70% of the U.S. population by June 2023

Dish said that DISH will use AWS’s infrastructure and services to deploy a cloud-native 5G network that incorporates Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) – the antennas and base stations that link phones and other wireless devices to the network – and the 5G Core – the logical architecture that directs traffic flow within the network. 

In addition, Dish will use AWS Outposts and AWS Local Zones to build its network in the cloud, and AWS will  power Dish’s fully automated Operation and Business Support Systems (OSS and BSS).

Charlie Ergen, Dish co-founder and chairman,  said that the partnership with AWS will bring automation to the network and make it easier for developers to create new 5G applications. 

“Through this collaboration with AWS, we will operate not just as a communications 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. Our approach will revolutionize wireless connectivity by giving customers the ability to customize and scale their network experience on-demand,” Ergen commented.