Ordering a high-quality 5G network in just a few clicks might sound far-fetched, but it is not. It has been several years since we entered the era of apps and on-demand digital services. But one area continues to lag: telco network services.
Ordering 5G connectivity should be as simple as opening the Uber app, choosing the destination and instantly having a selection of ride options to choose from at different prices. This level of simplicity, swiftness and seamlessness should be the vision for 5G connectivity.
Popular digital services like Uber often leverage a highly-dynamic software solution that is delivered through an agile digital pipeline. Digital services are designed to evolve with new features and enhancements to improve the overall customer experience – at times, these are items that customers themselves did not think of having.
Regardless, adding beneficial features and enhancements to a well-developed app is key to customer loyalty. For communication service providers (CSPs), adding Core SaaS to their services is an enhancement that can improve the experience for 5G customers.
Who are Core SaaS customers?
Core SaaS is critical for delivering rapid 5G connectivity on-demand as 5G network slices integrated with new radio will produce numerous use cases for a plethora of applications.
Traditional core network customers tend to be mobile network operators (MNOs) or CSPs that view a telecom vendor as the “parts supplier” and themselves as the “parts assembler.” However today, the assembly stage is no longer needed because technology has moved past that point. Instead, the perspective should now be telecom vendors as the technology suppliers automating the assembly, while CSPs focus on creating new value and revenue streams using the pre-assembled technology.
MNOs and CSPs tend to love their networks, seeing them as a differentiator. Changing how they deliver connectivity services will not be easy. Therefore, the initial customers of Core SaaS will be specialist MVNOs (mobile virtual network operators), private mobile network operators and tech-savvy enterprises that grasp the as-a-service methodology for delivering value to their own business.
Core SaaS customers should ask providers initial questions such as: “Why should I run my service/application on your SaaS solution?” “Are you faster than my current telco vendor at delivery?” “What creative commercial subscription and add-on models do you offer?” “What useful Service Level data can you deliver about my service?” “What is your digital pipeline approach?”
That said, the pinnacle question that customers should ask is, “What value can you provide to my business and how can it improve my customers’ experience?” This brings us to an intent-based approach – a must-have for SaaS.
Using Core SaaS to deliver value with intent
“Intent” is the formal expression of requirements, goals and constraints of the lifecycle management of intent objects and the communication of intent and related reports.
Intent takes human-driven requirements into an autonomous system, in other words, a human-centric design, which is a key component for any SaaS business. It describes how sub-systems communicate with each other and report on operational success, and is expressed using a common intent model through an intent interface. In some cases, intent can be used to deliver a network slice that is pre-defined in the SaaS catalog.
Core SaaS network slice catalog
So, does one pick an UberX, UberXL, UberPool, etc.? Or perhaps a rental car?
Some connectivity providers will want to use an exclusive network slice type to deliver data services to end customers, while others will be happy to share a pre-existing network slice. Shorter-term scenarios will require network slices that last a matter of days, like connected devices at a music festival or motorsport event.
Other, longer-term scenarios will require network slices lasting months or even years, like data services offered at a holiday resort or university campus. To cater to this diverse demand, a Core SaaS service should offer pre-defined Network Slice Types (NESTs).
Customers that need wireless data could enter their 5G connectivity criteria through an intuitive portal and be presented with a recommended choice of standard NESTs. This flexibility is a differentiator, and a network slice provider offering digital on-demand connectivity is unique in the world of mobile telecoms.
The Core SaaS digital pipeline and its capabilities
SaaS services will be released using a CI/CD (Continuous Integration / Continuous Delivery) digital pipeline. They are delivered as microservices, generally in a cloud-native, containerized environment. Core SaaS is no exception, as a digital pipeline is an essential ingredient in any digital service operating model. Core SaaS customers expect fast delivery of new features and enhancements, with bug fixes being non-negotiable.
The mobile core represents three domains: subscriber data, control plane and user plane. When 5G core products targeting these domains are put together to deliver the initial Core SaaS enabler, magic happens. The enabler can be split into sub-functions, allowing the Core SaaS portfolio to offer lightweight, pre-defined configurations. This will appeal to CSPs that only require part or a sub-set of Core functionality.
It is anticipated that there will be thousands of 5G network slices deployed by NEST providers. Some applications might connect cattle while others focus on assisted vehicles. Either way, companies operating these applications will be SaaS-savvy. As a result, now is an optimal time for CSPs, MNOs, MVNOs, etc., to begin implementing Core SaaS services, so that they can transform their offerings to Uber-level simplicity, swiftness and seamlessness.
In doing so, customers can easily turn on their smart device; log in to their “Uber for Networks” app; choose where they need connectivity, how many devices, and select ultra-low-latency and high bandwidth options; receive 5G network slice choices and prices; and finally, select the one that provides the best value, pay the set-up fee, and agree to the subscription model. That way, ordering a high-quality 5G network in just a few clicks becomes a reality in 2023.
