Nokia announced End-To-End 4G And 5G Slicing Network

Nokia recently launched its new end to end slicing network functionality for the 4G and 5G New Radio, claiming to the first vendor to offers this capability.

According to the announcement, Nokia's solution would support connectivity from 4G and 5G devices over the sliced network to applications running in public and private clouds. The vendor revealed that the solution would be available later this year. The solution allows the operator to offer connectivity services for the enterprises, Internet of Things, private wireless and Fixed Wireless Access etc.

Nokia’s new solution helps the operators to start building their network slicing business today with LTE and 5G NR.

Executive Opinion

Director Technology & Future Services, A1 Telekom Austria Group, Alexander Kuchar, said, "We are proud to be among the first operators worldwide who successfully demonstrated end-to-end network slicing, spanning the core, transport, and radio over our 4G as well as 5G networks. For our business customers, it will be a huge advantage to be able to benefit from dedicated mobile communication services, exclusive capacities, strong data security, and transmission with high reliability and low latency by integrating A1’s highly reliable and excellent infrastructure and services offering into their internal processes. Network slicing in 4G and extended in 5G will play a key role in allowing A1 to develop new market segments and revenue streams."

Chief Technology Officer, Telia Finland, Jari Collin, said, "It has been really exciting to be the first operator to conduct a live test of Nokia’s new network slicing feature. As a 5G frontrunner in business customer pilots and solutions, we know that this will be a key functionality that will deliver many of the promises our customers are waiting for. With slicing, we can efficiently use our spectrum to deliver seamless and reliable connectivity and also strengthen our leading IoT position with the nationwide deployment of new technologies like LTE-M and NB-IoT."

Nokia 4G/5G Services

The slicing capability can be deployed with the help of a software upgrade into the existing LTE and 5G non-standalone (NSA) networks and can also be used in the subsequent 5G standalone networks.

The slicing continuity between the LTE and 5G NR allows operators to maximize their network coverage for the new mobile connectivity services, notes the announcement.

Nokia's slicing solution is being developed in partnership with the Nordic and A1 carrier Telia.

Nokia also revealed that private wireless slicing also opens new network functionalities for different applications such as automation and surveillance. Nokia is also working on trialling live 4G/5G slicing use cases with customers powered by a Software Defined Network(SDN) radio slice controller as well as transport slice controller.

The trial period of the 4G/5G slices includes a Nokia cloud packet core slice to support network deployment automation as well as SD-WAN software solution offering a managed 4G/5G network slice to public and private cloud services.

Just a few days back, Nokia acquired Elenion to Optical Connectivity Requirements of Cloud, 5G, and Enterprise Networking.