Outgoing Verizon Business CEO Tami Erwin (pictured) told an industry event there was more to delivering enterprise 5G services than the network alone, in a thinly-veiled swipe at the operator’s current and emerging rivals.

During the MoffettNathanson Media and Communications Summit Erwin argued operators must work alongside business customers, delivering applications and ensuring distribution channels are in place.

The executive claimed Verizon Business holds a 44 per cent share of the B2B sector and had increased gross additions in each quarter in the year to end-March.

Cloud competition
While Erwin was dismissive of Verizon Business’ mobile operator competitors, she acknowledged there could be an emerging threat from US cloud operators including Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Many global operators have forged cloud partnerships with AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, but there are concerns operators including Verizon could end up being “dumb pipes” for the hyperscale providers’ services.

While AWS announced it is building private networks using CBRS spectrum, Erwin questioned whether the cloud provider would be able to scale complex set-ups for large businesses on its own.

“Can they carve me out? Yes,” she said, adding “some subcomponents work better together if we can figure out a way to go at it together”/

Erwin said Verizon was in the process of working out how it will split revenue from private networks, MEC and additional applications with the cloud providers.