The last blog post introduced 5G Network Slicing. We briefly discussed the benefits of slicing from a 5G operator POV. Let us consider the top benefits of this technology from an Operator Standpoint.
Network Slicing as a Game Changer
When Network Slicing as technology matures fully, it will enable operators to offer end-to-end services which will cover applications, devices, and various user personas, across multiple domains — wireline, wireless, etc. From a geographic standpoint, it will permit Slices to be deployed across the edge, the transport, and the core.
Slicing can do all this as it permits the following capabilities in a 5G network –
- Offer users time-bound capacity that can be instantly provisioned using an orchestration platform. Users can select preconfigured slices or configure custom slices that provide specific traffic baud rates
- Based on the sensitivity of the data transfer, specific encryption or compliance requirements can also be configured. Eg PCI compliance, FedRamp, etc
- Users can configure Edge Slices that have specific performance criteria such as latency
- Users can purchase a range of slices and share them among multi-tenant applications; slices can be distributed among applications based on their SLA and Cost criteria
- Slices can scale up or down based on usage
So what are the benefits for Operators?
(Image Credit: Ericsson)
The benefits for Operators are manifold both from a business and a technology perspective. The chief among them being –
- Network Slicing (or Slicing going forward), can help improve the operator customer experience by enabling quick and rapid deployment of complex slice topologies that adhere to QoS and SLA constraints. Slices can be delivered faster and provisioned quicker as they are based on Service templates
- Slicing enables the sharing of a common network and compute infrastructure = A single network that combines base stations, radio nodes, core, fiber can all be shared across customers.
- Slicing enables effective use of resources as every network slice can be right sized based on the user’s request. Similar to compute servers, slices can deliver lower latency and/or higher throughput based on business needs.
- Based on the operators business model, slices are custom designed for use cases that provide specific Vertical 5G services (e.g. Connected Car, AR/VR, Industrial IoT, Smart City etc). This ability to predefine slices can vastly improve operational efficiency and service delivery times as well enable customers to negotiate flexible billing schemes
- The biggest benefit of Slicing to Operators is that it helps in the ‘Cloudification Of telco thus enabling drastic reductions in CapEx and Opex.
Conclusion
As 5G technology comes of age in 2022 and beyond, expect network slicing to move centerstage and to support mission critical business requirements. Slicing will bring the benefits of Virtualization to physical 5G networks. While the industry and 3GPP will need to work out how slicing will work across multiple network domains provided by separate physical or logical network infrastructures. The next blog post will cover 3GPP standards in this space. Expect national regulators to play a key role from both a Security, National Sovereignty as well as an (anti) competitive standpoint.
Feature Image credit: Omar Fores/Unsplash