SK Telecom and Ericsson announced on Thursday they have successfully tested 5G network slicing.
Network slicing makes use of software-defined networking (SDN) and network functions virtualisation (NFV) to partition a single physical network into multiple virtual networks with capacity and coverage tailored to meet the individual requirements of a diverse range of use cases.
With network slicing, a mobile operator can provide networks on an as-a-service basis, for example using one slice to meet the needs of low-capacity, massive machine-to-machine (M2M) communication services, and another to cater to bandwidth-hungry, low latency services such as automated driving.
"Network slicing is one of the key enabling technologies for SK Telecom’s all-IT based 5G architecture, and the successful demonstration of network slicing technology is a significant step forward…[towards] the world’s first commercialisation/deployment of the 5G network system," said Alex Jinsung Choi, CTO of SK Telecom, in a statement.
In a demonstration at SK Telecom’s Bundang R&D centre, the two companies created different virtual network slices optimised for augmented reality, massive Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, and enterprise services.
They were able to completely isolate the different slices from each other, ensuring that data packets traversing one slice do not adversely affect the operation of another.
SK Telecom said network slicing will improve the operational efficiency of its network and reduce the time-to-market for new 5G services.
"The development of 5G is in a very exciting phase right now with important achievements in research and development," said Ulf Ewaldsson, CTO of Ericsson. "The success with the network slicing technology is critical to enable the network to be an innovation platform for new types of applications and thereby meet the future expectations."
