Huawei scores perfect marks in global telecom cloud assessmentHuawei scores perfect marks in global telecom cloud assessment

Huawei has secured top ratings across all categories in GlobalData's 2024 telecom cloud infrastructure assessment, establishing itself as the industry's exclusive leader.

The Chinese tech giant received "Leader" status — the highest of five possible rankings — in all seven assessment categories, ranging from network architecture to artificial intelligence capabilities.

"We are honored to receive full marks across all dimensions," said Lin Wei, president of Intelligent Telco Cloud at Huawei Cloud Core Network Product Line. "We are deeply committed to delivering innovative, high-stability and high-performance telco cloud solutions."

Telecom providers are rapidly moving to cloud infrastructure from traditional networks, aiming for more automated and cost-effective operations. IDC forecasts this market will grow to $27.3 billion by 2027, with an annual growth rate of 16.1%.

Despite this growth, operators face significant challenges, particularly in managing both traditional and cloud-native systems simultaneously — a hurdle Huawei addresses with its dual-engine architecture, the report said.

At the core of Huawei's success is its Telco Converged Cloud (TCC) platform, powered by the company's FusionSphere cloud operating system. The platform uses a dual-engine architecture — combining enhanced OpenStack technology for traditional networks with Kubernetes for newer cloud services, according to the report. This approach lets telcos upgrade to cloud technology smoothly without disrupting customer service, while maintaining near-perfect stability.

Huawei's integration of AI and large language models has also transformed network maintenance in several ways, the report said. The firm uses the technology to reduce operational alarm durations through automatic root-cause analysis and cut maintenance workload by enabling cross-layer fault detection.

The platform also uses AI to optimize energy consumption, dynamically adjusting CPU frequency or entering sleep mode based on service loads. Performance metrics show industry-leading results in network efficiency and resource management, according to the report.

The assessment highlighted how Huawei's eSight platform simplifies cloud management by providing a single system to control all operations. The platform supports different types of network setups, helping operators run their services more efficiently, GlobalData said.

Huawei has secured more than 1,250 global cloud platform contracts, with its TCC platform deployed across 30 commercial sites supporting virtual and cloud-native network functions. The report said that major telecommunications operators, including China Mobile, have adopted the technology, demonstrating its appeal to tier-1 operators.

Beyond product sales, Huawei has taken a leading role in defining telco-cloud standards through key positions in major industry bodies, including the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), the report said.

The Chinese tech giant also ranks among the top 10 contributors to Kubernetes open-source projects and led the creation of testing programs for Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) — technology that converts traditional hardware-based network functions into software — helping solve integration challenges between different telecom vendors' equipment, the report said.

Huawei plans to expand its telecom cloud technology, particularly in mobile AI, as part of its growth strategy.

"We will continue to enhance our capabilities in telco cloud," Lin said, adding that the focus would be on helping operators with digital transformation.