Ericsson and Orange Belgium have successfully completed a groundbreaking project focusing on 5G slicing automation, a significant advancement within the field of telecommunications. The demonstration took place in a live 5G environment and was made possible through funding by the Belgian State Federal Public Service Economy (FOD/SPF Economie) as part of its initiative ‘Telecom to the next level – towards sustainable and innovative solutions’.
This innovative collaboration highlights the capabilities of Ericsson Service Orchestration and Assurance, marking the first instance of end-to-end automation of network slices in a live 5G scenario encompassing both core and radio network domains. The project was conducted within a multi-vendor and Radio Access Network (RAN) sharing scenario, emphasising the collaboration’s commitment to robust operational capabilities in complex network environments. Key support was provided by MWingz, facilitating the integration between Ericsson’s orchestration platform and the shared radio network infrastructure.
Among the project's most notable achievements is the automation of the lifecycle management of network slices, which have been tailored to meet the diverse needs of enterprise customers. In a real enterprise setting, the deployed slices demonstrated their practical applications and scalability, serving industries that require secure, high-performance, and low-latency connectivity.
Philippe Toussaint, the Chief Technology Officer of Orange Belgium, remarked, “Strengthened by our membership of the Orange Group, we successfully demonstrated 5G network slicing automation, underscoring our commitment to delivering advanced technological solutions. This capability provides virtualised, dedicated network ‘slices’ over shared physical infrastructure.” He further noted the collaboration with Ericsson as a highlight of innovations that enhance telecom sector capabilities, proposing that it allows for faster, more reliable, and customisable network services beneficial to both enterprise clients and individual subscribers.
Fabrice Sancho, Head of Ericsson Belgium, added, “This project marks a pivotal step in the value creation and monetisation of 5G networks. In collaboration with Orange Belgium, we have demonstrated the potential of 5G slicing automation to revolutionise enterprise connectivity, and showcase the route to further progress and further digitisation for Belgian businesses and citizens.”
The successful conclusion of this project establishes a solid foundation for future developments in 5G technology. It is expected to enable dynamic, flexible, and scalable connectivity solutions that cater to a variety of industries, including manufacturing and healthcare. Moreover, the capability to automatically configure and manage 5G network slices is expected to be crucial in supporting mission-critical applications, smart cities, and the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystems. The advances in this domain are anticipated to facilitate the mass deployment of advanced consumer use cases, further propelling the digital landscape forward.
Source: Noah Wire Services