Software-centric networks the key to 5G success

A growing emphasis on software-centric networks such as 5G, which favour services, is forecast to guide the next wave of growth in telecoms, according to ABI Research.

But the sector will only obtain the benefits of advanced use cases such as ultrareliable low-latency communications (uRLLC) and massive machine-type communications (mMTC) when operators migrate fully to full 5G networks.

“The industry must realise that 5G is not just about radio and core network evolution,” said Don Alusha, a senior analyst at ABI Research.

“The introduction of 5G is almost certainly going to require investment in other parts of the ecosystem, like transport networks and cloud-based platforms.

“The supply side of telecoms, therefore, must accompany its 5G offering with a clear understanding of how 5G-specific use cases fit into the wider connectivity-centric telecoms ecosystem to unlock new commercial opportunities for the industry at large.”

Attitudes vary in the operator community concerning the prospect of upgrading to full 5G functionality, with some mobile service providers indicating they will wait for the ecosystem to reach a high degree of maturity, while others are already conducting trials aimed at a full-fledged 5G network.

“A utopian vision of a perfect migration path is just that: utopian. Pursuing the perfect 5G deployment path may not be the optimal way to realise the full benefits of 5G,” said Alusha.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Irina

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