The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is known for covering telecommunication technologies including RAN, core transport networks and service capabilities. It doesn’t stop at that since 3GPP has provided complete system specifications for 5G network architecture that tends to be much more oriented than its predecessors. Furthermore, the services are offered via a common framework to network functions that are allowed to use these services.
One notable area that the 3GPP specifications focused on is 5G network slicing. In fact, it happens to be the key ingredient allowing the full potential of 5G architecture to be realized. Some people may wonder why network slicing is even important in the first place when leveraging 5G wireless technology.
To give you the tip of the iceberg, network slicing adds an extra dimension to the NFV domain. This is possible as it allows multiple logical network infrastructure. Well, this plays a pivotal role to 5G architecture as it creates end-to-end virtual networks that include both networking and storage functions.
Thanks to 5G network slicing, operators can effectively manage diverse use cases like the IoT where usage may be extremely high, but the overall bandwidth demand is low. However, you should remember that each 5G vertical is going to have its own requirements. That explains why network slicing remains to be an important design consideration for 5G network architecture.
We can never conclude without mentioning the fact that 5G network slicing allows users to optimize costs, resource management and flexibility of network configurations without going through a lot. Furthermore, network slicing allows expedited trials for potential new 5G service and quicker time-to-market.
The Bottom Line
It is quite evident that 5G network slicing has more to offer both consumers and enterprises. Either way, be sure to spend some time doing your research to determine what makes 5G network slicing essential. Through this action, you will never have to worry about being left behind as your competitors make the shift from 4G to 5G network. So, what are you waiting for before you finally give it a try!