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Arcus 5G Core (Blue Arcus)

Core from Blue Arcus Technologies; details below are as stated by the manufacturer.

Reviewed Sep 30, 20263 sourced facts
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Details

Exact model
Arcus 5G Core
Category
Core
Technology / network scope
5G NR5G core, standalone (SA) or non-standalone (NSA)
Not stated by sources
Bands · Environment · Availability

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Overview

Arcus 5G Core is Blue Arcus's 3GPP-compliant 5G core software, which the company says can run as a standalone (SA) or non-standalone (NSA) core and scale from fewer than 100 to more than 1 million subscribers.[1][2] It is software only; Blue Arcus says it installs on any hardware, from a core-in-a-box mini PC for an enterprise to a standalone server or a container cluster for a service provider, and that the control plane can sit in a public cloud while the UPF (user plane function) runs at each site.[2] In an Intel solution brief published in October 2024, Blue Arcus reported running the core on an ASUS NUC 14 Pro mini PC with a 5G radio and 5G devices and passing its functional test list; Intel notes that it does not audit third-party data.[3]

Specifications

Architecture

Core type
3GPP-compliant 5G core with a converged architecture that works as a standalone or non-standalone system.[1][3]
3GPP release
The datasheet lists 5G NR 3GPP Release 16.[2]
Network functions
AMF (access and mobility management), SMF (session management), UPF, PCF (policy control), UDM (unified data management), AUSF (authentication server) and SMSF (SMS function).[2][3]
Interfaces listed
N1, N2, N3, N4, N6, N7, N8, N10, N11, N12, N13, N15 and N20, plus N26 to a 4G MME (mobility management entity) for 5G-to-4G handover.[2]
Control and user plane separation
CUPS-based, with single or distributed UPFs at edge sites and network slicing.[2][3]
4G interworking
EPS fallback or 4G interoperability is listed; Blue Arcus says the core can integrate with an existing 4G network.[2]

Deployment options

Hardware
Any hardware platform: a mini PC (core in a box), a standalone server, or a highly available cluster; network functions run as virtual or containerized applications on a container orchestration platform.[2]
Cloud and edge
A centralized control plane in a public cloud can serve multiple sites while each site's UPF handles local traffic steering and breakout, which Blue Arcus calls core as a service.[2]
UPF placement
On a standalone server, integrated with a MEC (multi-access edge computing) appliance, or integrated with CU/DU (centralized and distributed unit) radio hardware.[2]
Tested small-footprint configuration
ASUS NUC 14 Pro with an Intel Core Ultra 7 165H processor, 32 GB of DDR5 memory and a 256 GB SSD running Ubuntu 22.04, tested by Blue Arcus on May 10, 2024; Intel's brief describes this size of system as serving hundreds of users.[3]

Capacity (as stated by Blue Arcus)

Subscribers
100 to more than 1 million; the control plane is listed at 1 million users.[2]
Sessions
100,000 PDU sessions and 100,000 active sessions on the user plane.[2]
Throughput
Up to 20 Gbps per UPF instance, scaled by adding instances; the product page cites data throughput of up to 1+ Tbps.[2][1]
Radio sites
1 to more than 1,000 gNodeBs.[2]

Features and interfaces

Services
VoNR (voice over new radio), 5G data, Wi-Fi calling (VoWiFi) and SMS broadcast.[2]
Edge and policy
MEC with local breakout and flexible policy and charging control.[2]
Radio compatibility
Standard interfaces with third-party integration, including Open RAN; Blue Arcus says it has integrated with more than 20 RAN vendors.[2][4]
IoT
Massive IoT support is listed; use cases named include eMBB, URLLC and mMTC (enhanced mobile broadband, ultra-reliable low-latency and massive machine-type communications).[2]

Management

Element management
Managed through Blue Arcus's integrated EMS (element management system), with alarm notifications sent by email and SMS.[2]

Licensing

Model
Blue Arcus says operators add capacity by buying more subscriber licenses or by distributing the deployment; prices and other terms are not published.[2]

Documents

Vendor

Sources

Researched Oct 1, 2026. Manufacturer and vendor statements are their claims, not independent tests.

  1. Arcus 5G Core — Blue Arcus Technologies. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  2. Arcus 5G Core datasheet (V.4.1, PDF) — Blue Arcus Technologies. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  3. Blue Arcus, ASUS and Intel Deliver 5G Core in Small Compute Footprint (solution brief) — Intel, Oct 8, 2024. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  4. Blue Arcus Technologies — Blue Arcus Technologies. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.

Every detail in the table at the top comes from these sources. Open the source details for each fact’s publisher, evidence type, date, and where it appears.

Source details (3)
SOURCEExact model

Arcus 5G Core

Blue Arcus Technologies ↗Manufacturer informationLocation in source: Arcus 5G Core product page, overview paragraphChecked Sep 30, 2026Source date: not stated

SOURCETechnology

5G core, standalone (SA) or non-standalone (NSA)

Blue Arcus Technologies ↗Manufacturer informationLocation in source: Arcus 5G Core product page, overview paragraphChecked Sep 30, 2026Source date: not stated

SOURCEProduct category

Core

Blue Arcus Technologies ↗Private5G.com classificationLocation in source: Product page overviewChecked Sep 30, 2026Source date: not stated