Nokia announced it is the first vendor to offer extreme automation of 4G and 5G network slicing across all network domains, including RAN, transport and core. The company introduced new network management, controller and orchestration capabilities to its solution, enabling mobile operators for the first time to rapidly deliver and assure network slicing services within minutes instead of hours or days.
Nokia’s new automation capabilities, which comply with the 3GPP and IETF slicing specifications, are an extension of its 4G/5G end-to-end network slicing solution announced in February1 and the slice orchestrator announced in June. First deliveries are planned by the end of 2020. The solution consists of radio, transport and core domain controllers and assurance tools. Controllers support real-time slice operations and automation for the creation, modification and deletion of a large number of slices in their respective, multivendor domain.
Operators can create different customer policies and group profiles for slices with different network performance, quality, routing and security capabilities. This enables them to provide new slicing services for small, medium or large enterprises, private wireless, Internet of Things, fixed wireless access, content and applications.
“Nokia is the first vendor to provide slicing in LTE and 5G networks in a multivendor network environment. By adding extreme automation capabilities, we are offering operators a single, modular solution that helps them deliver a new wealth of services at unprecedented speeds,“ said Sasa Nijemcevic, Head of Network Automation for Nokia’s IP/Optical Networks business.
The new capabilities consist of software packages for Nokia’s existing NetAct and SON/Self-Organizing Networks (radio) and Network Services Platform/NSP (transport and core) operations and assurance products. These capabilities work in conjunction with Nokia’s Digital Operations Center service orchestration software to complete the round-trip process to design, deploy, optimize and assure slice-based services.
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