Operators have been moving their core networks to the cloud far more slowly than most observers had expected a few years ago. Although the packet core has often been the first element to be virtualized, most early movers have deployed only limited core functions as virtual network functions (VNFs). However, the move from the first 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) deployments to full Standalone systems, which require a 5G core, will be a significant trigger. Many of the promises of the full 5G model rely on a flexible, cloud-native core, and we will see a rising tide of operators moving on from merely virtualizing the core on off-the-shelf hardware, to implementing a fully cloud-based platform built around microservices and containers. Another major…