In August 2020 T-Mobile US announced they had launched world’s first nationwide Standalone 5G network (5G SA). Radio and Core Network are now both 5G based. In contrast to the literal meaning of the word ‘standalone’, 5G SA certainly doesn’t mean that in 2021 we will see immediate and hard cut-overs away from current technologies. For starters, the turmoil caused by COVID-19 means some operators are opting for a more gradual transition to 5G and put even more emphasis on cost saving. It is one of the reasons we see growing requirements for software based solutions that can bridge different access technologies and multi-vendor implementations.
#1: The 5G factor
Steven Van
Zanen, Head
of Product
Management &
Marketing
Operators will continue to provide 4G network access where availability of 5G-capable devices is lacking or where there isn’t sufficient 5G coverage yet. The burden of operating multiple networks in parallel is already driving a surge of replacement projects. The aim mostly is achieving cost reductions of legacy technologies and network functions. But it is not just a matter of replacing legacy functions to achieve reduced license cost. 5G is turning out to be a major influence on product requirements - even for such legacy functions. Operators already demand that replacement functions are able operate in conjunction with 5G. This is important - not in the least - to clear the road towards a fully converged core as analyst Chris Nicoll of analyst and consultancy firm Omdia wrote in December 2020: “The mobile core is to become the multi-service hub for mobile networks. It will serve as a key integration point for mobile networks by supporting 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G services with more networks opting to deploy multi-mode cores supporting 4G, 5G NSA and 5G SA”. The adoption of 5G core network design principles will drive the transformation to a software based hybrid core.
#2: The new normal: hybrid core
Whatever route towards 5G – operators will find themselves gradually deploying and supporting an integrated hybrid network for at least another decade. Network functions they acquire, even replacement products for 2G, 3G and 4G, will be software designed and cloud native, with inherent support for virtualization and containerization. And finally, many of these functions will work across technologies. The ability to achieve flexible integration and uniform operations, security, reporting and management across 5G and legacy networks will be an important factor to manage the transition cost-effectively.
Therefore we expect the following core network signaling trends to accelerate in 2021:
• 5G SA will drive new requirements for multi-technology capable 5G functions (including technology independent capacity licenses) supporting gradual migration/transition to 5G.
• Costs associated with legacy to 5G transition will accelerate demand for multi-technology capable signaling functions (e.g. STP-DRA-SCP-SEPP).
• Interworking between SS7/Diameter and HTTP/2 technologies becomes more prevalent.
• Virtualization and cloud support becomes the norm, even for legacy replacement functions.
• The integrated security design of 5G will impose more attention to security for 2G/3G and 4G networks as well.
BroadForward already sees increased operator demand for trialing its 5G Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP), which includes support for multi-technology interworking (e.g. HTTP/2 - Diameter).
