Build your private 5G network with Charmed Aether SD-Core

You might recall that we recently announced the beta release of Charmed Aether SD-Core, bringing automation to the Linux Foundation’s open source 5G software-defined core (SD-Core) networking software. SD-Core is distributed by the Aether project and is for anyone who wants to build a private 5G network. Canonical’s Charmed distribution of this software is designed to simplify deployment and operation of mobile 5G networks. In this blog, we’ll run through the benefits of using charms for your Aether SD-Core deployment.

Aether SD-Core: Open source 5G network core for private 5G

5G mobile network core: benefits and challenges

The 3^rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)’s service-based architecture for 5G core networks provides flexibility, agility and programmability to mobile core networks, transforming a traditionally monolithic software architecture into a fully modular one. This brings efficiency and cost benefits to an operator. Networks can now be deployed on demand, across a distributed cloud infrastructure, and managed with software that can easily scale based on customer demand and dynamic system conditions.

However, as with any cloud-native software, an operator that adopts 5G core technologies requires a suitable set of tools that can flexibly deploy and manage the complex software that 5G core entails. This is because a 5G core network has multiple software components, such as the user plane function (UPF), requiring their own set of configurations and actions to perform software lifecycle management operations. Whilst automation can help manage a cloud-native 5G core with ease, enterprises do not necessarily have the know-how to operate automation software and manage a dozen complex scripts.

What is Charmed Aether SD-Core?

Charmed Aether SD-Core addresses the challenges faced by enterprises that want to deploy and operate their private 5G networks with ease. It provides simple interfaces and removes the need for the necessary know-how on how to operate a private 5G core network. 

Thanks to Canonical’s Juju orchestration engine, it is straightforward to deploy and run a 5G core network. All the complexity is managed by software operators, meaning that an IT admin at an enterprise can deploy and manage it with a simple set of CLI commands and an intuitive graphical user interface. Supported by Canonical’s proven software automation and orchestration engine Juju, which operates a wide range of open source products today, Charmed Aether SD-Core brings simplicity for private 5G for anyone.

Perfect for a diverse set of edge computing use cases powered by a 5G core network

See Charmed Aether SD-Core in action at Ubuntu Summit 2024

Charmed Aether SD-Core is fully automated and easily consumable by anyone who has a CNCF compliant Kubernetes running, such as Canonical Kubernetes. At this year’s Ubuntu Summit, we will demonstrate it on COTS hardware on-site, along with a software-defined radio with an open source radio stack. This will showcase how one can leverage open source in telecommunications to build an end to end 5G network on equipment they can run anywhere.

We are excited about this live demonstration of Charmed Aether SD-Core which combines Aether SD-Core, a scalable open source cloud native mobile core for Private 5G deployments with Canonical’s powerful orchestration engine. Charmed Aether SD-Core simplifies the operation of a Private 5G, enabling enterprises to efficiently host their own edge applications.

Larry Peterson, Aether TST Chair

Run your private 5G core network at a lower cost

You may be a software developer working on a new application that could benefit from 5G, or a telecom specialist or network engineer building a new system that needs mobile connectivity. You may be a member of technical staff at an enterprise, looking into deploying and testing available open source solutions for a cost-effective private mobile network. 

Whatever your reason for exploring private 5G networks, Charmed Aether SD-Core is a free open source software that is available as beta. We have documentation pages providing you with tutorials and how-to guides that will help you on your way to cloud-native private 5G. You can test Charmed Aether SD-Core with open source radio and user equipment (UE) software simulators already, but check your country’s regulations and see if you can get a shared spectrum license for research and development purposes. Most agencies already support this at a very low cost today.

If you are curious about 5G and would like to test Charmed Aether SD-Core on your own CNCF compliant Kubernetes, such as Canonical Kubernetes, you can deploy and try it today and give us your feedback.

Learn more about software operators

Read more about Juju and explore hundreds of operators for open source software at Charmhub.

Contact us

Get in touch with us for your telco deployment needs and your transition to open source in mobile networking. Canonical provides a full stack for your telecom infrastructure. To learn more about our telco solutions, visit our webpage at ubuntu.com/telco.

Further reading

Introducing Charmed Aether SD-Core: Automated open source 5G mobile core network

Fast and reliable telco edge clouds with Intel FlexRAN and Real-time Ubuntu

Bringing automation to telco edge clouds at scale

How telcos are building carrier-grade infrastructure using open source