Microsoft is attacking the 5G operator market from multiple angles, most of them incorporated in its expanding Azure for Operators platform. The company is also potentially competing with the 5G MNOs, particularly by offering cloud-based core network services to enterprises, following its acquisitions of Affirmed and Metaswitch. But last week it was focused on telcos as customers rather than rivals, as it announced it would start to sell global data traffic transport and routing services to 5G operators. “Operators spend a lot of money to manage and maintain their networks and peering relationships, but so does Microsoft. The question then is, why are two massive industries doing the same thing? Because both parties move packets around, doesn’t it make more…