Ericsson launch new 5G RAN slicing solution for enterprises
Network slicing is increasingly becoming the key to unlocking the potential of 5G architectures. The technique involves portioning up a 5G network in order to devote different sections of frequency to different applications and end users, improving performance and consistency, as well as supporting cutting edge 5G applications like enhanced video streaming and in-car connectivity.
“End-to-end slicing is key to monetising 5G investment and RAN slicing will help make that happen,” says Toshikazu Yokai, Executive Officer, Chief Director of Mobile Technology, at japanese telecom operator KDDI.
“Across different slices in our mobile networks, RAN slicing will deliver the quality assurance and latency required by our customers.”
In order to help drive RAN slicing adoption across enterprise applications, and help businesses using 5G get the most out of their investments, Swedish communications technology company Ericsson has released a new 5G RAN slicing solution.
In a press release on Tuesday, the company revealed that the new technology is based on Ericsson’s existing radio technology and has been built to support a scalable, flexible architecture. The solution reportedly allocates radio resources at 1 millisecond scheduling and supports multi-dimensional service differentiation handling across slices.
The result is, according to Ericsson, strengthened end-to-end slicing capabilities that allow for dynamic resource management and orchestration. The solution also prevents some of the existing drawbacks that limit the potential benefits of network slicing. By using artificial intelligence to help automate radio and network optimisation through a fully virtualised private network, Ericsson claims to have avoided the 30% - 40% loss of spectrum capacity that comes with less sophisticated “hard slicing” solutions.
“Ericsson 5G RAN Slicing dynamically optimises radio resources to deliver significantly more spectrum-efficient radio access network slicing,” commented Per Narvinger, Head of Product Area Networks at Ericsson.
“What makes our solution distinct is that it boosts end-to-end management and orchestration support for fast and efficient service delivery. This gives service providers the differentiation and guaranteed performance needed to monetise 5G investments with diverse use cases. With 5G as an innovation platform, we continue to drive value for our customers.”