Comcast shifts 5G core to AWSComcast shifts 5G core to AWS

Comcast is the latest mobile operator to tuck its core into the cloud.

Amazon announced Tuesday that Comcast has migrated its 5G wireless core from on-premises infrastructure to AWS, a move aimed at helping Comcast deliver "enhanced" 5G connectivity at lower operating costs.

They didn't say exactly how much lower those operating costs will go, but the move enters the picture as Comcast continues to scale up its mobile business. Comcast added 319,000 mobile lines in Q3 2024, extending its total to 7.52 million. At the end of that period, Xfinity Mobile's penetration represented about 12% of Comcast's domestic residential broadband subscriber base.

The new AWS-powered network, they said, will focus on Comcast's licensed spectrum across the US and pave the way for Comcast to deploy new (but yet unidentified) features, improve customer service, optimize network performance and automate additional 5G operations.

Xfinity Mobile currently is underpinned by Verizon's mobile network alongside Comcast's network of millions of Wi-Fi access points. Comcast is also starting to deploy CBRS spectrum in limited, high-usage areas, including portions of the Philadelphia market.  

"AWS's extensive cloud infrastructure, together with their understanding of telco network requirements and ability to support production-grade 5G networks, will help us to continue delivering the highest quality service to our wireless customers," Tom Nagel, Comcast's executive vice president, wireless strategy, said in a statement.

"Moving Comcast's 5G core to the cloud will enable greater resiliency, faster innovation, and enhanced security, leveraging AWS's secure global cloud infrastructure," added Jan Hofmeyr, a former Comcast exec who is now VP of Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) Edge at AWS.

Comcast also has a 50/50 operating platform partnership with Charter Communications focused on backend systems that support both Xfinity Mobile and Charter's Spectrum Mobile service. Charter has been asked for an update on its 5G core strategy and if it will include any tie-ins with AWS or another hyperscaler. However, Charter recently was identified as a lead customer for a principal core orchestration platform that is now in the hands of Vecima Networks following Vecima's acquisition of Falcon V Systems.

Growing cloud core trend

Comcast's new partnership with AWS fits a small but growing trend that is seeing mobile operators shift their cores to hyperscaler partners.

AT&T, for example, has put commercial traffic onto Microsoft's Azure platform. Meanwhile, EchoStar also has a deal with AWS, though a good chunk of its traffic runs on Azure due to EchoStar's roaming deal with AT&T. In another example, Telefónica Germany has teamed with AWS, complementing a core provided by Ericsson.