End-to-end slicing with 1 millisecond latency aims for the best spectrum efficiency.
5G RAN slicing is part of an end-to-end (E2E) network slicing deployment for a 5G Standalone (SA) network. Achieving E2E networking slicing with predictable quality of service (QoS) is essential for a growing number of 5G services that depend on network slicing to operate at scale.
Network slicing is the foundation of many use cases unique to 5G, ranging from private enterprise 5G network deployments with specific service-level agreement (SLA) requirements to low-latency applications like AR and VR which demand the flawless operation of the network at its near and far edge, closer to the user.
5G network slicing is a feature of a cloud-native 5G network architecture that leverages the principles behind network functions virtualization (NFV) and software-defined networking (SDN), allowing for flexible, programmable converged networks wherein disparate services that would typically require parallel systems reside on a single infrastructure. In such an architecture, each network “slice” is an isolated, bespoke end-to-end network tailored to fulfill the requirements of a particular application.
“Network slicing is the operators’ best answer on how to build and manage a network that meets and exceeds the emerging requirements from a wide range of users,” said Ericsson.
5G RAN slicing helps operators manage the Radio Access Network (RAN) resources need for network slicing to operate, according to Ericsson. 5G Ran slicing operates with 1 millisecond latency and enables service differentiation handling on the RAN.
Or, as Ericsson, says, this allows “for the effective use of dynamic radio resource partitioning, slice-aware quality of service (QoS) enforcement, and slice orchestration functionality for service-level agreement (SLA) fulfillment.”
5G RAN slicing deployments
First introduced as a product by Ericsson in 2021, 5G RAN slicing reached some significant milestones, starting in Europe. In February 2022 Deutsche Telekom (DT) and Ericsson announced a proof-of-concept (PoC) 5G E2E deployment that spanned Germany to Poland. The commercial-grade setup used Ericsson’s 5G network infrastructure and DT’s SD-WAN solution.
“Combining 5G slicing and SD-WAN technology allows flexible connectivity establishment and control, while traffic breakout close to the application server in visited countries enables low latency,” the companies said in a statement.
In March 2022, UK telco Vodafone and Ericsson announced they’d tested an E2E network slicing trial, albeit under laboratory conditions. The companies were able to establish a network slice with guaranteed download speeds of 260 megabits per second (Mbps), with a latency of 12.4 milliseconds (ms).
“Network slicing is an incredibly valuable step forward. By segmenting our network, and customizing different slices for different requirements, we can bring to life new ideas that would be impossible otherwise. When we configure our network to empower new services, industries like gaming, entertainment and healthcare can enter a new era. What might seem like science fiction is one step closer thanks to network slicing,” said Vodafone U.K. Chief Network Officer Andrea Dona.
