Cloud-native technologies will be an essential part of next generation networks, able to deliver some of the full potential of 5G. Very few operators have deployed mainstream network functions in this way yet, but Australia’s Telstra has joined the elite group, implementing a cloud-native evolved packet core (EPC) that will support both 4G and Non-Standalone 5G services. All operators so far have deployed 5G first in Non-Standalone (NSA) mode, which uses the 4G EPC and supports dual connectivity for devices to 4G and 5G base stations. Only relatively minor tweaks are required to the 4G core to migrate to NSA, but some operators are taking the opportunity to replace their legacy EPC with a new virtualized, more functional one, which…