Deutsche Telekom (DT) and Ericsson said they've demonstrated the use of 5G end-to-end network slicing in a customer-centric service delivery model for video streaming, where a customer can control and adapt slice performance based on demand.
The proof-of-concept sets a benchmark for “network-as-a-service” innovation, revealing how 5G network slicing can enable a new level of flexibility and control for enterprise customers, according to Ericsson. It also involved fully automated configuration, provisioning and end-to-end orchestration of the slicing service.
Ericsson provided the commercial-grade 5G Standalone (SA) network. The demo was conducted in DT’s lab in Bonn, Germany.
“The groundbreaking integration of network exposure capability into 5G network slicing lays a technical foundation for 5G service innovation,” said Alex Choi, SVP Technology Strategy & Innovation, Deutsche Telekom, in a statement. “Working with partners like Ericsson, we will continue to explore 5G Standalone’s potential as we seek to build a flexible platform-based ecosystem with customer centric network-as-a-service models.”
Ericsson Group CTO Erik Ekudden said new digital services will become a reality because 5G network slicing makes it possible to create fit-for-purpose software defined virtual networks with defined characteristics.
“Standardized network exposure APIs (Application Programmer Interfaces) provide mechanisms which allow third-party authorized applications to monitor and adjust the behavior of such “slices” within the boundaries of their subscribed services,” Ekudden said in a statement. “We are very proud to closely collaborate with Deutsche Telekom as one of the globally leading operators, to bring the value of network slicing, exposure, and automation to the market.”
One of the big advantages of 5G is the ability to do network slicing. It’s a feature of the SA version, enabling multiple virtual networks to be created on a single physical network infrastructure. A “slice” can be adapted to each customer's needs, with isolation between slices.
In this proof of concept, it was applied to a video broadcast. A video director, with access to a dedicated “video production” slice, used an application to choose between multi-camera streams in low and high resolution for a broadcast.
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This past summer, DT, Ericsson and Samsung completed what they described as the world’s first 5G end-to-end network slicing trial involving cloud VR game streaming and 5G SA infrastructure.