(Telecompaper) Microsoft announced plans to collaborate with telecommunications companies on the rollout of 5G networks with a view to bringing cloud and edge technologies closer using Azure. In a blog post, Microsoft Azure executive vice president Jason Zander said Microsoft intends to help operators unlock the potential of 5G by enabling them to offer a range of new services such as "ultra-reliable low-latency connectivity, mixed reality communications services, network slicing and highly scalable IoT applications."