Ericsson joined with a Swiss mobile carrier to detail network slicing on its 4G and 5G equipment this week.
The Swedish telecom equipment maker said although companies can already work with its end-to-end network slicing on 4G networks, the demonstration at Mobile World Congress shows how the technology can be implemented in 5G cases as well.
The project is part of a broader effort with Swisscom to explore and deploy new use cases for 4G and 5G. A first step, officials noted, is testing whether the system can support important public network communications.
“Network slicing is crucial to guarantee the performance of critical communications, and it is a key enabler to maximize the full business potential of 5G,” Ericsson Product Area Network Systems chief Joakim Sorelius said in a statement.
The demonstration will use commercially available Ericsson radio access network features, including RAN slicing and Quality of Service control, along with the company’s core network functionality and Operations Support Systems.
Swisscom, meanwhile, aims to enable its network to meet the needs of specific industries, whose requirements are different — and stricter — than those of conventional mobile broadband.
“In addition to offering mobile broadband services, we will be able to configure dedicated network slices for various industries, meeting the needs of manufacturing, railway, and public safety companies,” said Heinz Herren, the carrier’s CTO.
