Cloud-Native Telecommunications: From Legacy to Modern Architecture

The Evolution of Telecom Infrastructure

The telecommunications industry is undergoing a massive transformation from traditional monolithic systems to cloud-native, microservices-based architectures. My experience spans both worlds - from legacy Ericsson IMS systems to modern cloud-native solutions.

Key Challenges in Telecom Modernization

Legacy System Integration

Working with Ericsson’s IMS SBG (Session Border Gateway), I learned the complexities of:

• SIP protocol handling
• Diameter authentication
• Media control and routing
• Fault tolerance in critical systems

Cloud-Native Transformation

At 5Gencare, we’re building next-generation telecom infrastructure:

• Containerized microservices
• Distributed IoT/AIoT backends
• Real-time telemetry and monitoring
• Scalable device management

Technical Stack Evolution

Traditional Telecom Stack

• Erlang for core services
• SIP/Diameter protocols
• Mnesia for state management
• Jenkins for CI/CD

Modern Cloud-Native Stack

• Erlang/OTP for business logic
• Docker for containerization
• AWS (EC2, S3, Lambda)
• Prometheus/Grafana for monitoring
• GitLab CI for continuous deployment

Best Practices for Telecom Cloud Migration

1. Gradual Migration: Don’t rewrite everything at once
2. Protocol Preservation: Maintain compatibility with existing systems
3. Monitoring First: Implement comprehensive observability
4. Security by Design: TLS, OAuth2, RBAC from the start

Future of Telecom

The future lies in:

• Edge computing for low-latency applications
• AI/ML integration for network optimization
• Open source telecom platforms
• 5G and IoT convergence

Conclusion

The telecom industry’s shift to cloud-native architecture is not just about technology - it’s about enabling new services and capabilities that weren’t possible with legacy systems.