Vodafone UK and Ericsson have completed the first standalone (SA) 5G network slicing trial in the country. They have demonstrated the achievement of a VR use case.
Conducted in a laboratory demonstration, the companies have created an on-demand 5G network slice, configured using a RAN slicing function, to provide the low latency and high bandwidth required for a VR use case in a retail store. The slice created a download speed of 260Mb/s and latency of 12.4 milliseconds, with the entire process from placing an order to the creation of the network slice to carry live network traffic taking a total of 30 minutes, the companies said.
Vodafone and Ericsson claim that the trial demonstrated the ability to rapidly deliver automated and customized connectivity services as customers’ needs change. Andrea Dona, chief network officer at Vodafone UK, believes network slicing is an incredibly valuable step forward, and being able to configure its network can help industries like gaming, entertainment, and healthcare enter a new era. “What might seem like science fiction is one step closer thanks to network slicing,“ Dona said.
Nokia and SURF, the organization for IT in Dutch education and research, have successfully reached a single carrier 800Gb/s optical transmission over SURF’s existing cross-border, multi-vendor research and education network infrastructure.
Nokia and Vodafone are collaborating to test the viability of L4S technology over passive optical networks (PON).
The GSMA believes that critical reform of European laws is necessary to position the region as a technology frontrunner by 2030.
