ZTE claims lead on 5G core network maturity

• Making the first 5G call over 'x' is now old hat
• The 5G bragging spotlight might now start to play over the core network
• ZTE says it's passed the test on its own 5G core

I’m sure by now that calls are working well over 5G test networks. They must be as every week we get  fresh announcements here at TelecomTV Towers that vendor x working with telco y has managed to generate the first call across spectrum band z. Hold the front screen.

Actually, at this point it’s more newsworthy if they inform us when they CAN’T get a call to connect [as if that’s ever going to happen... ed].

So it’s heartening that the next phase of hairy-chested 5G one-up-personship might be upon us now that many radio milestones have been passed. From now we can surely expect attention to move to the development and testing of the core network where the biggest chunk of the 5G that’s going to make ‘the big difference’ is going to be lodged. That will also be about the critical data performance of the 5G network.

As things currently stand many telcos are revving up to launch non-standalone ‘new radio’ 5G, which is 5G radio connections sharing 4G backhaul and network. Standalone ‘new radio’ will take away the 4G trainer wheels and usher forth the new 5G network proper which, if 5G is to match the hype, must be a highly virtualised and software driven. It should be where 5G finally meets SDN and NFV and it offers real advantages and abilities around service automation, capacity, low latency, network slicing and general network and business agility.

ZTE appears to be an early mover here by specifying a core network that meets the IMT-2020 (the standards underlying 5G) third phase 5G test for “core network performance stability and security function”.

The test involves the performance of the NFVI platform, the service performance of 5G core network element single/multi virtual machine deployment, as well as system capacity and stability, and ZTE claims the results it’s obtained verify the maturity of its 5G core network.

Read the full ZTE details below

7 January 2019, Shenzhen, China - ZTE Corporation (0763.HK / 000063.SZ), a major international provider of telecommunications, enterprise and consumer technology solutions for the Mobile Internet, takes the lead in completing IMT-2020 third phase 5G test for core network performance stability and security function, fully verifying the maturity of ZTE’s 5G core network.

The test involves the performance of the NFVI platform, the service performance of 5G core network element single/multi virtual machine deployment, as well as system capacity and stability.

ZTE’s system, including NFV platform and 5GC core function network elements, is deployed on the general server platform, and interfaces with third party instruments in accordance with the requirement of the service model. The company passes all the test cases, and the test results meet the requirement of the service model and specification indicators.

The security function test focuses on the device identity management and registration, as well as the security service procedure in mobility. ZTE’s system successfully passes all the mandatory test cases.

ZTE’s latest version of 5G core network is developed in compliance with 3GPP Release-15 specifications released in September 2018. By adopting SBA, micro-service components and network slicing, ZTE’s 5G core network can achieve flexible and agile service innovation.

By means of the separation of service logic and data, ZTE’s 5G core network can improve service reliability and user experiences. Moreover, it enables the minute-level deployment through flexible service scheduling.

"It is another significant breakthrough following ZTE’s completion of the SA architecture function test in September 2018,” said Liu Jianhua, general manager of ZTE’s Telecom Cloud and Core Network Products. "ZTE will actively support and cooperate with Ministry of Industry and Information Technology to help the 5G industry grow mature and embrace the arrival of the 5G era.”

Under the guidance of China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, IMT-2020 (5G) Promotion Group initiated the third phase of 5G R&D tests in November 2017, aiming at continuously improving the 5G technological R&D capability and promoting the maturity of the 5G industry.

In addition to the completion of IMT-2020 third phase 5G core network test, ZTE also completed the world's first end-to-end connection between 5G device and system, based on 3.5 GHz NSA networking, by virtue of ZTE’s 5G prototype smartphones.

Furthermore, ZTE and China Telecom completed the world's first 4G and 5G network interoperability test under the SA architecture. In collaboration with Tianjin Unicom and Port of Tianjin, ZTE released 5G&MEC smart port industry applications.