Singtel and Nokia will develop and trial 5G network slicing capabilities this year, media reports said. The development of 5G will be based on Nokia’s Network as a Service (NaaS) approach that offers high-end customisable services for a range of 5G use cases and applications.
The proposed 5G slicing could provide customers customisable services in cloud gaming, manufacturing and maritime operations. Later this year it will be tested with other organisations.
With the development of 5G slicing, Singtel will be able to offer a secured network slice on demand within minutes. Previously, it took weeks or months to deliver the offering, according to both telcos.
Bhaskar Gorti, President of Nokia Software, told the media, “Today’s enterprise and communications technology buyers expect more – a lot more – from their innovation partners. Framed by always-on technology, communications service providers need to up their game on customer engagement. Singtel is taking the right approach, re-fitting their service delivery and assurance processes and tools. This move to a 5G digital services infrastructure ensures they can stay ahead of customer demand and even service new customer segments.”
5G slicing is a sophisticated feature that allows creation of multiple virtual networks on one physical network. For Singtel, this development will provide a huge competitive advantage and enable it to address specific 5G requirements with speed, efficiency and flexibility. 5G slicing will also high security and improved network performance, media reports said.
Recently, Nokia announced the launch of slicing network functionality for 4G and 5G new radio systems.