Future-Proof Core Network, Gearing up Business Innovation
[Dubai, United Arab Emirates, October 14, 2021] The Sixth 5G Core Summit (5G Core Summit 2021) was successfully held recently. Richard Liu, President of Huawei Cloud Core Network Product Line, delivered a keynote speech titled "Future-Proof Core Network, Gearing up Business Innovation" at the summit. In his speech, Mr. Liu expanded on Huawei's thoughts on the 5.5G core network architecture and its business value. As he pointed out, the 5.5G core network features telco cloud native, full convergence, intelligent autonomous driving, and ultra distribution.
Richard Liu delivered a keynote speech at the 5G Core Summit 2021
Telco Cloud Native: Redefine Cloud Native with Telecom Network Features
With microservice and container technologies and advanced smart management concepts and approaches like continuous integration (CI) and continuous delivery (CD), conventional cloud native enables cloud resources to be flexibly scheduled. However, in addition to this, telecom networks also require high reliability, performance, security, and maintainability. To address these requirements and unleash greater business value, operators need to combine telecom features with the innate cloud native capabilities and redefine the cloud native for telecom scenarios.
With this in mind, Huawei has developed the Rock-Solid Reliability solution based on telco cloud native with a variety of cutting-edge technologies, including stateless design, N-way redundancy, and distributed federated database. With this solution, operators build highly reliable core networks where services for tens of millions of users can be switched over between DCs within just a few minutes.
Full Convergence: Simplify Network Evolution and Improve User Loyalty to Voice Services
It is inevitable that 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G will coexist for a long time. This not only makes the network structure more and more complex, but also increases both the OPEX and CAPEX for operators. Under such circumstances, operators are trying to find a cost-effective way to simplify network evolution. At the same time, they are devoted to fully unleashing the potential of data channels to strengthen the voice services, as B2C will remain the key business arena for operators in the foreseeable future. Now they are collaborating with Huawei and other industry partners to explore new 5G communications services and develop the required network capabilities.
To facilitate network evolution and enhance voice services, Huawei has developed the Single Packet Core (SPC) solution and Single Voice Core (SVC) solution. The SPC solution can be leveraged to build a fully convergent data network, whereas the SVC incorporates both CS and IMS features and can be utilized to construct a fully convergent voice network. Together, the two solutions can help converge everything from 2G to 5G, significantly simplifying the network architecture, reducing the OPEX and CAPEX, and improving user loyalty through new 5G calling services.
Intelligent Autonomous Driving: Shift from Assisted to Machine Learning Based Decision-Making
As networks are cloudified and enter new generations, the number of network components and nodes are rapidly increasing. This makes it inefficient to detect potential network problems and difficult to locate system faults, and the complexity of the core network O&M increases exponentially. As such, it is urgent to improve network autonomy and accelerate the digital and intelligent transformation of network O&M so that services can be provided with higher quality while at a lower cost.
To address this challenge, Huawei has put forward the autonomous driving network solution which relies on the telco cloud native and infuses intelligence into the core network. With this solution, the NFVI can be upgraded in batches with zero downtime, VNFs can be updated automatically, and faults can be demarcated and located across different network layers within 15 minutes. This solution can help lift the network automation level to L4 and facilitate intelligent network planning, construction, maintenance, and optimization.
Ultra Distribution: Expand Network Boundaries and Build Digital Infrastructure to Boost B2B Success
As B2B services are rising, the requirements from enterprises on network reliability, security, O&M, service enablement, experience, and ecosystem construction are also diversifying. To meet such varied requirements, the network efficiency must be improved, and the service scope of operators needs to be expanded. The convergence of Data, Operation, Information, Communication Technology (DOICT) is the key to achieving this, as it can be used to strengthen the infrastructure that underpins industry digitalization and business development.
Huawei has conducted extensive practices together with industry partners to promote B2B applications. Based on these practices, Huawei has launched a series of MEC solutions. Industry customers can choose on-premises or shared MEC on demand. With MEC flexibly deployed, their networks can be managed and maintained in one place, and the extended network edge does not require any additional O&M personnel. By utilizing operators' excellent O&M resources, industry players can deploy edge networks rapidly and manage them efficiently. It is beneficial for operators to develop their own MEC ecosystems and also aggregate these different ecosystems. In this way, the entire industry can join force to promote the ecosystem maturity and unlock greater value in 5G.
With the features of ultra distribution, intelligence, and convergence, the 5.5G core network will deliver connections anywhere, anytime; enable more and more edge applications; and serve industries better. In the future, Huawei will continue to work with industry partners to develop the 5.5G core network architecture and technologies, promote both B2C and B2B services, and strive for greater business success.
