5G makes a new world of applications and services possible for both consumers and enterprises, humans and machines. But this comes with challenges. Service providers are asking themselves how they will differentiate and grow profitability in the face of new 5G use cases with such diverse requirements. Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) devours huge chunks of bandwidth, ultra-reliable Low-Latency Communications (URLLC) require a lightning-fast response time for mission-critical applications, and massive Machine-Type Communications (mMTC) stress the number of simultaneous mobile connections.
To stand out from the crowd and differentiate 5G services, mobile and wholesale network operators must optimize their transport infrastructure to provide guaranteed end-to-end 5G service performance. 5G Network Slicing not only allows them to meet the requirements of different applications, but also to grow revenues by offering tiered performance and service level agreement (SLA)–based pricing while continually optimizing network resources.
5G Network Slicing empowers operators, both mobile and wholesalers, to dynamically support multiple 5G use cases and applications to unlock new revenue streams. It brings the flexibility to offer private 5G services over a public RAN infrastructure, creating new market opportunities. It enables the delivery of customizable and guaranteed end-to-end performance across multiple physical and virtual domains in the wireless and wireline network segments, creating new possibilities for eMBB, URLLC, and mMTC use cases with tiered pricing while continually optimizing shared network infrastructure.
Ciena’s 5G Network Solutions enable network slicing by leveraging our next-generation routing platforms and Blue Planet 5G Automation software. Ciena’s open and programmable 5130, 5131, 5164, 5166, and 5168 routers support both soft and hard slicing with segment routing and FlexE, respectively, for converged 4G and 5G xHaul over a common wireline infrastructure. Blue Planet 5G Automation software allows for zero-touch orchestration of network slices—including design, activation, modification, and deactivation—for 5G Core, xHaul transport, and the RAN, all at the click of a mouse.
Ciena's 5G Network Solutions support comprehensive network slicing implementations enabling:
Enhanced network monetization, supporting premium services with premium SLAs
Flexibility to offer private 5G services over a public RAN infrastructure, creating a new market for operators
CAPEX optimization, allowing multiple services over a shared network infrastructure, while guaranteeing application-specific end-to-end performance
Streamlined operations, leveraging automation to speed up service activation for faster time to market and revenue, while reducing configuration errors to improve end-customer quality of experience
