CX Management in 5G SA Networks | White Paper | Polystar
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Learn what Network slicing is and how it helps unlock the full potential of 5G and transform the ways industries connect, innovate, and improve performance.
What Is Network Slicing Used For?
5G SA networks (also referred to as 5G core architecture), are designed to support slicing, enabling a growing number of foundational services. In short, these are:
- Low-latency network slices for critical applications, like autonomous vehicles or remote surgery.
- High-throughput slices for data-heavy applications, e.g., video streaming or virtual reality (VR).
- Massive IoT slices for handling large numbers of connected devices with minimal data traffic, such as sensors in smart cities.
The Technologies Behind 5G Network Slicing
5G slicing leverages several technologies and principles from cloud computing, software-defined networking (SDN), and network function virtualization (NFV).
Here’s How 5G Network Slicing Works in Practice:
- Virtualization of network resources:
- Slicing uses virtualization technologies like NFV and SDN to create virtualized instances of network resources such as bandwidth, processing power, and storage.
- These virtual resources are managed and orchestrated to create independent slices, each optimized for a particular service. - End-to-end configuration:
- Each slice spans the entire network, from the core (centralized data centers and processing) to the edge (where data is accessed by users or devices).
- The slices are configured from end to end, meaning they include all the necessary components (e.g., RAN, transport network, core network) to deliver a specific service quality and experience. - Dynamic management and orchestration:
- Network Slicing is not static; slices can be dynamically created, adjusted, or terminated based on demand. This flexibility is enabled by SDN controllers and orchestration platforms, which manage and automate the life cycles of the slices.
- Operators can allocate resources in real time to accommodate changes in network usage or requirements, such as adding bandwidth to a slice during a major event or adjusting latency requirements for a specific application.
Commercial Use Cases of Telecom Network Slicing
5G slicing enables telecom providers to create multiple virtual networks on a single physical infrastructure, each optimized for specific use cases. This flexibility allows businesses to cater to diverse needs, offering significant revenue generation and operational efficiency.
Autonomous vehicles
A dedicated low-latency, high-reliability slice ensures real-time communication between vehicles and infrastructure – essential for safe operation.
Industrial automation
Factories can use slicing to separate the networks for machinery control, monitoring, and employee communication, each with its own reliability and latency needs.
Smart Cities
IoT devices like sensors, cameras, and smart meters can operate on a dedicated slice optimized for handling massive numbers of connections with low data throughput.
Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR)
AR and VR applications require high bandwidth and low latency to deliver immersive experiences. Specific network slices can be tailored for these requirements to ensure seamless performance.
Will Network Slicing be the Engine of 5G Monetization?
Network slicing has been acclaimed as the key to future revenue growth from 5G SA network investments. However, network slicing has not been gaining momentum as rapidly as expected, and its potential has been questioned. We discussed this in a previous blog post: Unlocking the problem of slicing – what does this really mean
Each generation of mobile technology has a lifespan of around ten years before another emerges. With 2025 around the corner, we’re soon to reach the half-way point for the fifth generation.
As reported by the GSMA, 5G has now achieved approximately 20% global penetration, with some countries nearing or surpassing 50%, as highlighted in an article from the GSMA Intelligence Media Centre. We have reached this milestone more quickly than any prior generation of mobile technology. With this in mind, 5G SA and slicing might be on the way to success.
Key Benefits of Network Slicing
As already mentioned, 5G network slicing offers tailored connectivity by creating virtual networks optimized for specific applications, ensuring businesses get the performance they need for diverse use cases.
Let’s dive into the specific advantages of network slicing:
Customizable performance:
Network slicing allows operators to guarantee specific performance characteristics (e.g., latency, bandwidth, reliability) for each slice, ensuring that different applications receive the service quality they need.
Efficient use of network resources:
By tailoring each slice to its specific requirements, network slicing optimizes resource allocation, reducing waste and improving efficiency.
Operational flexibility:
Operators can dynamically create and manage slices in response to changing conditions or new service demands. This flexibility allows for rapid adaptation and innovation without the need for extensive modifications to the physical network.
Security and Isolation:
Each slice is isolated from the others, which enhances security by preventing any slice from interfering with or accessing data from another. This isolation is crucial for supporting mission-critical applications like emergency services or industrial automation.
Challenges Related to 5G Slicing
Slicing requires cloud-native 5G SA networks, which are more complex for operators to manage and monitor.
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Complexity management
Managing multiple slices dynamically, each with its own requirements and performance metrics, requires advanced orchestration and network monitoring systems. -
Interoperability
Ensuring that network slices work seamlessly across multiple network segments and devices from different vendors can be challenging, especially as networks become more heterogeneous. -
Security management
While slices are isolated, ensuring end-to-end security for each slice, especially in critical applications, requires careful planning and robust security protocols.
New Demands on Customer Experience Assurance
When offering advanced services based on 5G slicing, users’ expectations for the experience they receive increase accordingly. Simply put, customers using slice-based services pay more and have higher requirements for connectivity and latency. As a result, network monitoring and analytics become even more important.
Legacy Systems Must Continue to Function
Many MNOs are now realizing they need to invest in updated software for monitoring network performance and data analytics reflecting the user experience in real time. This is critical for successful 5G monetization.
Operators will find themselves in a situation where their legacy systems must continue to function alongside new solutions for advanced 5G SA networks and network slicing services.
Why is Network Slicing Important?
Network slicing is a transformative capability in modern telecom networks, particularly with the rollout of 5G SA networks.
It allows operators to provide customizable, efficient, and secure network experiences tailored to various use cases, driving innovation and optimizing resource use.
By enabling flexible, on-demand creation of dedicated network slices, telecom operators can meet the specific requirements of a wide range of industries and applications, from IoT to mission-critical communications and immersive media.
Service Assurance for 5G Slicing
At Polystar, we deliver real-time insights into CX, network performance, and service quality. Our Service Assurance solution span technologies from 2G to 5G SA, ensuring the superior CX required for a successful 5G launch and sustained excellence beyond.
With our proven expertise, we’re already empowering over 30 CSPs globally to monitor 5G SA networks effectively. Our advanced, vendor-neutral telco analytics seamlessly integrate with our monitoring solutions, providing comprehensive visibility and actionable intelligence.
