Google Cloud signs multi-year deal with Bell Canada | ZDNet

Google Cloud on Thursday announced it’s signed a multi-year deal with Bell Canada, Canada’s largest telecommunications company, to help modernize its network and IT infrastructure. Bell also plans to leverage Google’s AI and analytics capabilities to improve its customer services.

It’s the latest deal to showcase Google’s efforts to cultivate more cloud business within the telecom sector. Last year, Google outlined a multi-pronged pitch to the telecommunications industry, including industry-specific solutions like Anthos for Telecom. 

The new deal with Bell Canada entails moving the company’s critical workloads from on-premise data centers to the cloud. Bell also plans to combine its 5G network with Google Anthos to create a more automated, flexible customer experience that scales with demand. Additionally, Bell will tap Google Cloud’s AI and big data capabilities for real-time network data analytics. 

Bell and Google Cloud also plan to collaborate through the next decade on new cloud-based services for enterprise customers and consumers, as well as ways to improve customer service with automation and AI. 

Earlier this year, Google Cloud signed a 10-year deal with the Canadian telco Telus. Additionally, the cloud company extended its partnership with AT&T to offer a set of services that will help companies build 5G-powered applications. 

As the growth of 5G and edge computing open up new economic opportunities, the major public cloud providers have been busy inking deals with CSPs and other players in the 5G ecosystem. In addition to its new telco deals, Google recently announced a partnership with Intel to develop reference architectures and technologies that will accelerate the deployment of 5G and edge network solutions.