As enterprises increase their reliance on digital services, they are betting the success of their businesses on robust, flexible and secure communication. Properly designed, configured and deployed, 5G is configurable and flexible; 5G can be sliced to securely serve individual businesses and users; and 5G can be orchestrated to deliver a wide variety of reliable services, anytime, anywhere.
With an open, programmable and intelligent radio access network (RAN); operators and enterprises have the flexibility to improve mobile operations and add productivity-enhancing capabilities going forward.
Deploying a virtual RAN (vRAN) further increases flexibility for operators and enterprises. Unlike physical RAN solutions, vRAN allows resources to be rapidly and flexibly allocated where required. The challenge in this software-centric network environment is complexity. To facilitate the introduction of flexible development processes, it is important to enlist an experienced partner that enables both operators and business customers to launch and modify services on-demand. Properly designed and configured, an open vRAN environment enables enterprises to access industry-specific services on-demand.
The value of vRAN
5G is more than a pipeline for data; the technology enables a much broader set of capabilities than is currently available using existing wireless networks. But deploying 5G networks and designing private business networks that connect users, devices, sensors, applications and cloud services is complex. Private vRAN installations must be:
- Secure: Security is built-in to 5G and was one of the primary drivers during development. Data and user identities transported over a 5G vRAN are encrypted. The “virtual” part of the vRAN enables rapid adjustments and eliminates specific hardware that can be compromised. The 5G network edge, where applications and intelligence reside close to the user, enables the operator to quickly and precisely detect threats.
- Reliable: In addition to improved performance and capacity, 5G vRANs are individually monitored and managed. Continuous optimization of virtual network elements ensure that customer demands are being met. Operators can offer sophisticated service level agreements that ensure business customers have reliable access wherever and whenever they need it.
- Scalable: Networks already handle trillions of transactions from connected devices, users and applications. As the number of connected devices and applications continues to grow, the amount of data transferred across public and private networks will increase exponentially.
- Configurable: Operators and businesses require that 5G network resources are continuously optimized and readily configurable. 5G network slicing and virtual network resources enables individual management and configuration of vRANs. However, the design of the network and integration with existing network and operations resources must be completed with the expectation that the network will be continuously optimized.
5G can deliver more secure, reliable, scalable and configurable digital services than ever before when the network is properly designed, deployed and managed.
Right from the start
Operators and enterprises that want to take advantage of the enhanced functionality of 5G are finding that planning, deploying and managing those services require expertise that is not readily available. Skills and staffing have always been a challenge when deploying new technologies and 5G is no exception. Whether implementing a platform for delivering multi-tenant secure 5G vRANs or deploying a private 5G vRAN, there are important considerations all along the way.
An experienced partner makes sure that 5G works in each unique environment regardless of industry. From site development to testing, delivery and operations, Amdocs Mobile Network Services utilizes intelligent platforms and tools to ensure that operators and enterprises make the most of their 5G investments:
Network Planning Services: Plan and design complex 5G, fiber and IoT deployments to meet the growing demands of new services while meeting strict quality and financial objectives. Automate the complex task of prioritizing and selecting the right network capacity investments to maximize customer impact and ROI, while delaying CAPEX through optimization.
Network Deployment Services: Powerful multi-vendor, multi-technology optimization platform, enabling planning, building, launch, management and optimization of all networks from GSM to 5G-NR more effectively and efficiently – while delivering service quality.
Network Management Services: Multi-technology, vendor and operator network management with advanced data visualization and drilldown capabilities that consolidate data sources and tool output into one place, providing a simplified view of complex data, while enhancing daily operational efficiency.
From complex digital business services to critical public safety networks, Amdocs Mobile Network Services deliver automation-powered network rollout and deployment solutions covering planning, design, site development, integration, optimization and launch for 5G, fiber and IoT networks. Amdocs Mobile Network services enable operators and enterprises to take full advantage of advanced 5G, edge network computing, cloud and virtualization technologies. For more information, explore Amdocs Mobile Network services.
This article was written by Customer Business Executives Pavan Dandapanthul and Jai Rajan at Amdocs.