Cloudification of 5G AMF from VNF to CNF

In this whitepaper, “Cloudification of the 5G Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF): From VNF to CNF”, I examine the architectural transformation of the 5G Core with a focus on the AMF. Based on over 25 years of experience in 4G/5G Cloud and Core Network design, I analyze the inherent limitations of VNF-based architectures and present the case for a fully cloud-native (CNF) implementation as the foundation for a scalable and resilient 5G Core.

The paper provides a systematic comparison of VNF and CNF approaches to AMF deployment, highlighting CNF advantages including sub-second fault recovery, microservice-level scalability, container orchestration, and automated lifecycle management. I also present a structured transformation framework that integrates CI/CD pipelines, GitOps-based workflows, and targeted workforce enablement to ensure that technical adoption is matched with operational readiness.

This work is intended as an actionable reference for network operators and solution architects. It demonstrates how adopting a CNF-based AMF, supported by modern DevOps practices, enables operators to deliver carrier-grade reliability while maintaining the agility required to support future 5G services and beyond.