• Log in
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact us
Telecoms IT News - VanillaPlus
  • Home
  • News
  • Verticals
    • 4G
    • 5G News
    • Big data analytics
    • Bill & Charge
    • CEM
    • Companies
    • Digital transformation
    • Fraud prevention
    • Managed services
    • Network optimisation
    • NFV Hub
    • OSS
    • People
    • Policy
    • Revenue assurance
    • Revenue management
    • Service assurance
    • Service Provisioning
    • Test & measurement
  • Digital Edition
  • Events
    • Events diary
    • Webinars
  • Videos
  • VP Featured
    • Webinars
    • Podcast
    • Editorial advisory board
    • Expert opinions
    • Hot List
    • Operator View
    • Press releases
    • Reports & whitepapers
    • Special reports
    • Talking Heads
    • Troubleticket
    • Digital Talking Heads
  • Directory
  • Tech Trends
  • Subscribe
 

You are here:

  • Home
  • 5G News
  • Network slicing unleashes 5G opportunities, when service quality can be assured – Part 1

Network slicing unleashes 5G opportunities, when service quality can be assured – Part 1

30 January, 2017 at 9:00 AM

Network slicing unleashes 5G opportunities, when service quality can be assured – Part 1
Marc-Antoine Boutin, director of Product Management at CENX

Network slicing first appeared with 4G networks and enabled new possibilities – and this will go much farther when 5G enables network slices to incorporate the radios.

With great power, however, comes great responsibility for getting the quality of service right, otherwise end-to-end services and mobile devices could be in deep trouble.

The power of 5G networks isn’t in its capacity alone — although 5G networks will have the potential for greater capacity at the mobile device and in mobile backhaul.

The power of 5G networks won’t be the actual perceived improvement in the user experience, although that also will be significant. The real benefit is that network slicing will enable application designers and network architects to build end-to-end virtual networks tailored to their applications’ requirements – and implement throughout the entire network, says Marc-Antoine Boutin, director of Product Management at CENX.

Network slicing, while a relatively new idea, isn’t totally new to the forthcoming 5G standards. Elements of network slicing appeared in some 4G architectures, and could be implemented to encompass everything from the data centre to the network core to the network edge.

The radio part of the wireless mobility, however, wasn’t programmable in the network slice – specifically, 4G network slicing left out the RAN (radio area network) and access vendors’ tower microwave links and cellular data networks.

With 5G comes broader completion of the network slicing concept, and this unlocks tremendous possibilities. A network slice still originates at the data centre, and now extends through the core IP/MPLS networks, macro cells and small cells. Network slices can encompasses the cloud RAN, and also program the last-mile wireless connections for mobile users. In other words, it’s got everything.

Slicing and Dicing

Driving the architecture of 5G network slices is software defined networks (SDN), which provides the programmable infrastructure that separates the data plane from the control plane of the network. SDN enables application designers and service providers to define the exact networks they need, encompassing specific data centre servers, cloud providers, network core, backhaul, and front haul services.

Running on top of those applications are virtual network functions (VNFs), specific programs that offer necessary functionality running on the SDN-capable devices via network functions virtualisation (NFV). Lifecycle service orchestration will ensure that the network is configured properly end-to-end, even across multiple carriers, and that the proper VNFs are installed and running correctly.

In other words, 5G network slicing allows service providers and application developers to create the ideal virtual network to tie together their back-end servers, mobile end-points, analytics, firewalls, authentication servers, encryption, revenue systems, and other infrastructure – and layer it on top of whatever physical network and service providers happens to be the ones offering the L1/L2 connectivity.

Part 2 of this article continues tomorrow.

The author of this blog is Marc-Antoine Boutin, director of Product Management at CENX

Comment on this article below or via Twitter: @ VanillaPlus OR @jcvplus


category: 5G News, Connectivity, NFV Hub, SDN, Troubleticket, Wireless

Tags: 4G, 5G, analytics, Backhaul, CENX, Data centre, firewalls, IP/MPLS, Marc-Antoine Boutin, Network slicing, NFV, RAN, SDN, VNFs

VanillaPlus Q3 Magazine
 

VanillaPlus Magazine Issue 1 2022: Why IT must catch up with OT to enable 5G monetisation

Is creativity a bridge too far for CSPs? As communications service providers (CSPs) engage in new digital value chains, collaborate with partners and participate in multi-directional business models, George Malim shares a tale of two bridges

READ NOW

Comments are closed.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Subscribe


Relax time
Read the new novel by J.J. Cowan on Africa’s conflict minerals trade and forced labour. 5* Reviews on Amazon.co.uk Paperback & Kindle

Check out on Amazon

X

Be the first to know!

  • The top telecom IT news stories of the minute
    in your inbox
  • Exclusive offers for entry into hundreds of
    events worldwide
  • Free access to a huge selection of the latest
    analyst reports and whitepapers
Subscribe now so you don't miss out
Don’t show me this again
Please check your email
x
Vanillaplus - The Global Voice of Telecoms IT
The Global Voice of Telecoms IT

VanillaPlus is the world-leading resource covering digital transformation for the communications industry. VanillaPlus brings you exclusive News, Expert Views, and Event Reviews. See Interviews from CEOs, CTOs, and COOs who are successfully transforming their business today.

Connect

Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn

NEWS

  • Latest Telecoms IT news

DIGITAL EDITION

  • Latest Editions

OTHER

  • Newsletters [Archive]

KNOWLEDGE CENTRE

  • Webinars
  • Special Reports
  • Talking Heads
  • Editorial Advisory Board

COMPANY

  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

PARTNERS

  • IoT News

© 2014-2022 VanillaPlus - The global voice for telecoms IT. All rights reserved.