Intel officially unveiled its latest data center chip powerhouse that includes a stronger focus on supporting 5G, edge, and virtualized radio access network (vRAN) deployments. The oft-delayed platform was initially expected to launch early last year.

The new 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processor platform, also known as Sapphire Rapids, includes the usual host of eye-watering performance improvement numbers expected of any new anything. Specifically, Intel noted performance gains targeted at supporting artificial intelligence (AI) workloads, high-performance computing (HPC), security, networking, analytics, and storage.

These performance gains also support Intel’s telecom customers that are increasingly looking to improve the efficiency of their 5G, edge, and vRAN deployments.

Specifically, Intel touted accelerators for its edge AI hardware that uses its OpenVINO SDK and Geti AI platform to support AI uses cases at the edge; data streaming and dynamic load balancer accelerators to more quickly transmit and process content moving through the platform; and greater power from the same footprint to improve efficiency.

Dan Rodriguez, corporate VP and GM for Intel’s Network and Edge Group, in a pre-recorded video interview on the product release, explained the new chip series provides double the vRAN capacity compared to the previous generation chip series at the same power levels. He noted this will help operators better meet their sustainability goals.

The new chips will also gain Intel’s vRAN Boost capability this year, which will basically embed an accelerator platform within the system-on-chip (SoC) architecture.

The updates follow up on Intel’s launch early last year of its Xeon D processors that were specifically optimized for SDN and edge applications, including RAN, network edge, and AI. Those updates were to Intel’s previous generation “Sunny Cove” chip architecture.

Intel’s telecom work gained also more traction last year when it struck a deal with Ericsson to be part of the vendor’s California research lab. That work is targeted at illustrating how cloud native principles can improve the performance and efficiency of cloud 5G RAN equipment.

“We’re working together to explore technology not only in the near term, but also the over the three-to-five-year period to deliver solutions that communication service providers desire,” Rodriguez said at the time. “You can think about how we’re going to be working on not only performance, but greater sustainability in the network, in addition to partnering with communication service providers on how to deliver greater levels of automation and [total cost of ownership] in this portion of the network.”