Orange Wholesale has officially unveiled its 5G Core Network-as-a-Service (CNaaS) solution during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 in Barcelona, Spain, as the carrier looks to redefine next-generation mobile connectivity. The new 5G Core solution is fully hosted and managed, allowing mobile operators the ability to deploy their own 5G SA infrastructure within minutes using a cloud-based architecture without the need to invest in or maintain their own core network infrastructure. The solution comes with a range of in-built features, including IPX connectivity, secure roaming, real-time SS7/LTE/5G Standalone (5G SA) signaling, traffic visibility, and big data analytics for network optimisation. Aligning with industry trends towards digitalisation, Orange has integrated the solution into its digital service platform, Click, making it easier for wholesale customers to order, monitor and manage their connectivity solutions. While 5G Standalone is in its infancy and has yet to bring many of these benefits, carriers should adopt this “-as-a-service” model to capitalise on their 5G investment.
The 5G CNaaS solution from Orange Wholesale marks a shift in telecom infrastructure deployments and has been developed to help mobile operators and mobile network virtual operators break into the 5G market that may not have the in-house capabilities or the capital to deploy their own network infrastructure. Orange will offer a “pay-as-you-grow” model that allows operators the ability to scale their services as required, providing flexibility and containing financial risk. Orange will provide operators with end-to-end support, including network and infrastructure management and software developments, taking care of all the updates, security and compliance issues. In addition, operators will be able to leverage the carriers’ 51 Telco Cloud Points of Presence (PoPs) and a vast range of 5G international roaming agreements with 130 operators, providing them with a strong international 5G footprint. The “as-a-service” approach from Orange is part of the carrier’s broader strategy of providing advanced connectivity solutions through their modern infrastructure while improving its overall customer experience. Orange’s 5G Core network-as-a-service is part of the company’s strategy of creating Telco-as-a-Service solutions to drive network efficiencies and help support its sustainability goals.
The rollout of 5G, compared to other previous technologies, has been troublesome. A series of technical setbacks along with economic headwinds have contributed to some carriers deploying 5G non-standalone (5G NSA) networks instead of 5G Standalone, which has fewer features and functionality compared to 5G SA. While the uptake of 5G standalone has been steadily increasing over the last 12 months, it is still below industry expectations, with only about 125 operators across 55 countries having deployed 5G Standalone worldwide. With many mobile operators yet to see a return on their 5G investment due to the delays and associated costs involved, mobile carriers with 5G Standalone technology may wish to explore this capability further to maximise their investment in 5G. By adopting this capability, carriers would be able to leverage its financial benefits, including a reduction in capital expenditure, as well as efficiencies in network infrastructure, while supporting new business models.
