SUSE powers Orange Telco Cloud CaaS in production

SUSE and Orange will feature a joint demonstration at the SUSE booth during MWC 2026. This presentation will showcase Orange Telco Cloud, which is powered by SUSE. Key focus areas include its Sylva-aligned architecture and real-world 5G Core and RAN implementations.

Background–Sylva, Orange, and SUSE

Orange, alongside other leading Communication Service Providers (CSPs) and Network Equipment Providers (NEPs) in Europe, initiated Project Sylva under the Linux Foundation Europe.  This project’s goal was to create and release a unified cloud framework specifically for telco and edge computing, directly addressing the widespread fragmentation and complex integration issues within the industry.

The result of this collaboration is the Orange Telco Cloud. This platform demonstrates Orange’s commitment to developing an open, programmable, and Sylva-compliant cloud environment for deployment across its global telco and edge networks. Leveraging SUSE open source components, the platform delivers the necessary cloud-native infrastructure to host Network Functions (NFs) from various vendors. Its core features include fast NF deployment through CI/CD and GitOps automation, combined with end-to-end observability, which together guarantee high system availability and resilience.

SUSE is also a foundational contributor to Project Sylva, mirroring Orange’s involvement from its inception. SUSE’s contributions include support for Linux and bare metal automation (CAPM3 and the RKE2 CAPI Provider). As a premier sponsor and Board member, SUSE has also been instrumental in defining Open RAN requirements within the Sylva project.

Orange Telco Cloud architecture

Figure 1: Orange Telco Cloud architecture

Orange Telco Cloud’s Container as a Service (CaaS) layer is built on SUSE components, specifically leveraging the RKE 2 Kubernetes distribution in alignment with the Sylva architecture. This comprehensive partnership ensures commercial support from SUSE across the stack, including Rancher, Longhorn, Linux, Metal3, and CAPI. SUSE further enhances system reliability through Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and offers professional services for necessary platform customization.

Figure 2: Opinionated OTC CaaS, built with SUSE components

Figure 2 illustrates the opinionated Orange Telco Cloud CaaS platform components used in initial deployments. While primarily composed of SUSE software, the stack is designed for flexibility, allowing the accommodation of OS, Kubernetes, and management layer solutions from other vendors.

Orange Telco Cloud: A Live production success story 

Orange has successfully deployed a horizontally integrated Orange Telco Cloud (OTC) in live production across numerous affiliates in Europe and MEA since 2020. What began with 8 Network Functions (NFs) in 3 affiliates has grown significantly; by 2027, the OTC is projected to be rolled out in 25 affiliates, supporting 200 NFs and applications. 

A few examples of OTC CaaS in Live production are listed below. 

1. Unisys Voicemail cUVMS
   • Orange France launched the renewal of Voice Message System with Unisys.
   • Orange Telco Cloud supported this journey by providing OTC CaaS (RKE2) platform, and cloud managed services
   • Outcome: Optimized LCM via Sylva GitOps model and CAPEX reduction via horizontal model
2. 5G Network Exposure Function (NEF)
   • MAS Orange executing its API strategy, building on Ericsson NEF NF.
   • Orange Telco Cloud supported this journey by providing OTC CaaS (RKE2) platform, and cloud managed services
   • Outcome: Optimized LCM via Sylva GitOps model and CAPEX reduction via horizontal model
3. Nokia IMS
   • Orange Antilles, Guyane & Orange Reunion Mayotte modernized IMS, leveraging container functions.
   • Orange Telco Cloud supported this journey by providing OTC CaaS (RKE2) and cloud managed services. 
   • Outcome: Achieved Quality of Service requirements and completed upgrades via Tooling zone.
4. ZTE Fixed IMS and OSG
   • Orange converted a vertically integrated vendor platform to a horizontal cloud native platform, for one of its affiliates.
   • Orange Telco Cloud supported this journey by providing OTC CaaS (RKE2) and NF GitOps Tooling zone. 
   • Outcome: Reestablished control over infrastructure and CAPEX reduction via horizontal model.

The foundational role of the OTC Container as a Service (CaaS) platform is evident in these real-world deployments. It empowers affiliates to quickly develop innovative edge services and accelerate Network Function (NF) incubation. By leveraging cloud-native lifecycle management and automation, the platform also delivers significant operational efficiencies.

Discover More at MWC 2026

Visit the SUSE booth to learn more about Orange Telco Cloud and see demonstrations of the SUSE-Orange Telco use cases.

Where: Mobile World Congress 2026, Barcelona

When: March 2nd through 5th

Location: Hall 2, Stand 2C31

Additional Resources

• SUSE Telecom Industry Solutions
• SUSE Telco Cloud Product Information
• Success Stories
  • Orange
  • Ericsson
• ABI Research report
• Project Sylva Blog
• Parallel Wireless and SUSE Partner to Deliver Hardware Agnostic Kubernetes-Enabled Solutions (Press Release)