Samsung, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and Openet have collaborated on a 5G Standalone (SA) Core demonstrating multivendor interoperability. For the test, the companies integrated a bunch of their virtual network functions (VNFs).
The partners say the demonstration shows the power of taking a multi-vendor approach to providing a 5G SA Core and how it can enable network slicing with dynamic policy and charging rules. The 5G Core also provides multiple simultaneous network slices for a variety of services such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB).
Samsung’s network functions included its access and mobility management function, its session management function, its user plane function, its network repository function, and its network slice selection function.
HPE’s VNFs included its unstructured data storage function, its unified data repository, its authentication server function, its unified data management, and its network exposure function.
And for its part, Openet VNFs included its policy control function, its binding support function, and its charging function.
In addition to network slicing, the 5G SA Core will help operators offer 5G SA services such as mobile edge computing, AI analytics and ultra-low latency (URLLC) networks. “5G SA Core built on open architecture is a key driver of the innovative services that 5G promises, and it will help mobile operators create new revenue streams and business opportunities,” said Wonil Roh, head of product strategy for Samsung’s Networks Business, in a prepared statement.
With this multi-vendor solution, Samsung’s 5G SA Core enables operators to select innovative network functions offered by numerous IT vendors.
The 5G SA Core solution from Samsung can be demonstrated either remotely, or on-site at Samsung’s 5G Core Open Lab located in Korea.
Although Samsung’s name is mostly associated with electronics and semiconductors, the South Korean company is beginning to make a name for itself in open networking for 5G, not only for its work with 5G SA Core, but also for its work with 5G new radio (NR).
At this week’s Telecom Infra Project (TIP) Summit in Amsterdam, Vodafone called out Samsung as an outstanding vendor for 5G NR. Samsung was among seven vendors that participated in a 5G NR request for information (RFI) from Vodafone. The other companies were Mavenir, Parallel Wireless, Altran, Phluido, Altiostar and Radisys.
“There is one company that is particularly bright, and that is Samsung,” said Santiago Tenorio, Vodafone’s head of network strategy and architecture. “Their level of compliance to our requirements is spectacular; it’s beyond 80%. That tells us that if we want to put 5G into open RAN and take it to suburban and urban areas, we are probably more ready than we thought.”
Sprint’s 5G NR work
In other 5G NR news, earlier this week Sprint announced the opening of a TIP Community Lab in Overland Park, Kansas, where it hopes to further the development and deployment of OpenRAN 5G NR solutions. The lab is one of 12 TIP Community Labs around the world. It will host the trial and test activities of the TIP OpenRAN 5G NR Project Group co-chaired by Sprint.
RELATED: Sprint opens TIP lab for OpenRAN 5G NR
Sprint also said this week that it is releasing an OpenRAN 5G NR request for information, with the results expected in the first quarter of 2020 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.