Talking with Ulf Jönsson, Head of NFVI Portfolio Strategy Management at Ericsson

In this episode of Conversations with Dez, Ulf Jansson, the head of NFVI portfolio strategy management at Ericsson, shares valuable insights into the future of 5G, edge computing, and the role of cloud native infrastructure in enabling innovative use cases. Ulf’s expertise in optimising infrastructure for 5G telecommunications applications provides a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities in the telecommunications space.

Getting to Know Ulf Jansson

Before diving into the technical aspects of 5G and edge computing, Ulf shares a bit about his personal background. Born and raised in Sweden, Ulf is a family-oriented individual who enjoys spending time with his two boys and pursuing hobbies such as sailing and music.

The Evolution of NFVI and Its Role in 5G

Ulf’s extensive experience in network function virtualisation infrastructure (NFVI) positions him as a knowledgeable expert in the field. He highlights the transition from traditional telco gear to virtualised telecom applications running on standard servers. With the advent of 5G, the focus has shifted towards cloud native design principles, microservice architecture, DevOps, CI/CD, and ML, presenting new challenges and opportunities for the industry.

The Importance of Edge Computing in 5G

As 5G enables new use cases beyond traditional mobile broadband, the demand for edge computing infrastructure becomes paramount. Ulf emphasises the need for ultra-low footprint infrastructure that supports high scalability, security, availability, low latency, and bandwidth. Edge computing serves as an enabler for enterprise use cases and paves the way for innovative applications in areas such as gaming, industrial automation, and IoT.

Cloud Native Infrastructure Solution

Ulf introduces Ericsson’s cloud native infrastructure solution, which is the world’s first true cloud native infrastructure running Kubernetes and containers as a service platform on bare metal servers. This solution is optimised for telecom applications, offering significant TCO savings and efficient hardware utilisation. By leveraging cloud native design principles, 5G applications can be built to run in microservices, maximising server efficiency.

• Benefits of the cloud native infrastructure solution:
  • Superior hardware efficiency
  • Lower cost solutions due to the elimination of virtualisation software layer
  • Efficient and economic deployment at the Edge

The Future of 5G, Edge Computing, and NFVI

In conclusion, Ulf highlights the immense interest from customers in leveraging NFVI and edge computing to unlock new business opportunities and drive innovation across various industries. As the telecommunications landscape evolves, the focus remains on delivering cost-effective, efficient, and easy-to-manage infrastructure that supports the diverse requirements of 5G and edge computing use cases.

Stay tuned for more insightful conversations on the future of technology and innovation with industry experts like Ulf Jansson.