5G network slicing offers enhanced revenue possibilities for communication service providers (CSPs) in the enterprise segment. The technology helps shape a broad spectrum of 5G monetizing avenues for them with potential go-to-market strategies such as the Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) model, finds GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Kiran Raj, Practice Head of Disruptive Tech at GlobalData, comments: “5G network slicing is CSPs best option to create and manage a network that meets and surpasses the evolving needs of a diverse set of users. A sliced network is created by transforming it into a collection of logical networks built on top of a shared infrastructure. Each logical network is created to suit a specific business purpose and includes all of the necessary network resources that are configured and orchastrated end-to-end.”

Abhishek Paul Choudhury, Senior Disruptive Tech Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “5G network slicing offers CSPs and NaaS vendors certain advantages such as customized functionality, quicker scale-up and time-to-market, and the generation of new revenue prospects. Concurrently, enterprise customers can benefit from the improved speed and capacity, enhanced ‘bring your own device’ (BYOD) support, better reliability, and minimized latency.”

GlobalData’s latest Innovation radar report, ‘Powering NaaS – How 5G Network Slicing can Accelerate Business Growth’, highlights how 5G network slicing is generating enterprise use cases to solve some of the critical sector bottlenecks.

Energy & Utilities

Vodafone partnered with UK Power Networks to connect the UK’s energy grid to a dedicated slice of its national 5G network. It enables low latency and high bandwidth applications by letting mobile operators operate across the same physical network by creating multiple virtual network slices. This was achieved while observing stringent service level agreements (SLAs) that can be used for critical infrastructure.

Government

US-based software startup Mavenir collaborated with Thailand’s state-owned National Telecom Public Company Limited (NT), Thai startup 5GCT, and Cisco Systems Thailand to develop a smart city in Ban Chang that features 5G open radio access network (RAN) integration via the Millimeter wave (mmWave) private network. The Ban Chang smart city 5G private network proposed to use the mmWave spectrum ideal for Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, drones, and smart poles, as well as other applications that require quick data uplink to the core for real-time analysis and city management.

Media & Entertainment

Sony and Japanese telecommunications operator KDDI conducted technological testings for PlayStation game streaming and 8K live-streaming using a 5G SA mobile network. The duo used 5G SA to connect an Xperia smartphone outside a building to a PlayStation inside the building. The demonstrations testified superior connectivity of smart devices with possible 8K streaming by slicing the 5G SA mobile network.

Choudhury concludes: “5G network slicing has the potential to enable CSPs to offer novel services, develop new business models, and penetrate new markets. Speculatively, the use of 5G for network slicing complements the development of NaaS models for various sector applications.”