Vodafone has successfully carried out a trial leveraging AWS cloud infrastructure to operate IoT voice and data network applications built on Nokia core systems.
Critical network functions for Vodafone’s managed IoT connectivity platform were run on public cloud infrastructure during the trial. According to Vodafone, this initiative is a key component of its broader multi-cloud approach.
Vodafone tests cloud-based IoT core
Vodafone, Nokia, and AWS collaborated on the proof of concept. As part of the project, Nokia’s mobile data and voice core solutions were deployed on AWS cloud infrastructure in Frankfurt, Germany.
The deployment was connected to network systems situated in Vodafone’s own data centers situated across several European nations. Vodafone noted that the configuration was designed to help determine how cloud-based infrastructure could assist with expanding and scaling network capacity.
The trial addressed IoT voice services running through Nokia’s IP Multimedia Subsystem. Among these were voice applications intended for emergency calling in vehicles and elevators.
Additionally, it encompassed IoT data services running through Nokia’s Packet Core. Vodafone referenced smart metering for utility companies as one of the data service scenarios assessed during the trial.
Both the voice core and packet core relied on Nokia’s cloud-native network functions deployed atop AWS infrastructure. The companies collectively assessed lifecycle management, compatibility with Vodafone’s existing infrastructure, operational efficiency, expenses, and potential commercial applications.
The infrastructure incorporated AWS Elastic Kubernetes Service and Elastic Compute Cloud. EKS was utilized for overseeing containerized applications, whereas EC2 provided the necessary computing capacity for the workloads.
Vodafone indicated that the cloud-driven architecture is built to streamline network expansion and add capacity in a matter of days. The organization noted the method could enable a greater number of presence points for its global managed IoT connectivity platform.
Vodafone’s IoT base grows
Vodafone’s managed IoT platform now encompasses over 240 million connections globally. That number is notably higher than the 205 million IoT connections recorded in Vodafone Business’s annual report for 2025.
That same report mentioned Vodafone added 6.4 million IoT connections throughout the year, driven largely by the automotive industry. The AWS-Nokia trial incorporated emergency calling scenarios for vehicles, which fall among the IoT voice applications evaluated in the test.
IoT Analytics reported that cellular IoT connections hit 4.7 billion in 2025, reflecting a 13.3% increase from the previous year, with projections suggesting they will surpass 9 billion by 2030.
Vodafone pointed to automotive and utility-related scenarios during the trial, notably emergency calling for vehicles and smart metering.
Marco Zangani, Vodafone’s director of network strategy and architecture, noted that the company’s multi-cloud approach provides greater agility to adopt new technologies and enhance customer satisfaction. He remarked that the trial verified AWS as a viable infrastructure choice for network functions and could assist Vodafone in rolling out services more quickly.
Nokia stated that the trial demonstrated how its voice and mobile core platforms could operate on public cloud infrastructure while meeting carrier-grade performance requirements. Kal De, Nokia’s senior vice-president of core networks, explained the effort was intended to offer telecom providers expanded operational flexibility.
AWS stated the trial underscored its ongoing collaboration with telecom operators on cloud-hosted network workloads. Fabio Cerone, managing director of AWS’s EMEA telco business unit, remarked that the venture showed how telecom operators could embrace automation and scalability within their operational models.
Security and sovereignty next
Vodafone announced the subsequent phase concentrate on security and sovereignty requirements. Commercial evaluations are planned by the end of the year.
Moreover, Vodafone presented a long-term partnership with AWS in May to develop sovereign cloud offerings for German enterprises and governmental bodies.
Per the agreement, Vodafone projected that customer data would be stored, held, secured, and handled in Europe. The company notes these services target businesses, public-sector entities, and operators of essential infrastructure with strict data sovereignty and residency requirements.
Reuters reported in January that AWS is building its European Sovereign Cloud, which is physically and legally separate from AWS’s other global servers. Its first data center is being built in Brandenburg, Germany, backed by more than €7.8 billion in funding.
Vodafone noted its sovereign cloud initiative with AWS leverages knowledge from the Skaylink acquisition, the German cloud and cybersecurity firm it agreed to acquire in October 2025 for €175 million.
At the time, Vodafone highlighted Skaylink’s more than 500 skilled professionals with hands-on expertise in cloud deployments and migrations involving Microsoft and AWS platforms. Vodafone stated that Skaylink’s AWS-certified specialists would guide customers deploying workloads on the AWS European Sovereign Cloud.
Cloud automation work continues
Vodafone has also been working on cloud-based network automation. In June, Vodafone, Google Cloud, and TM Forum published a framework for self-optimising autonomous networks.
The framework addressed the use of AI, data analytics, and closed-loop automation in network operations, outlining both local automation for immediate tasks and centralized AI systems for higher-level network planning.
(Photo by Growtika)
See also: Microsoft turns to AWS for GitHub capacity amid Azure lawsuit
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