Network Slicing - What will we See in the Next Year

Prepared for Network Slicing Conference, Berlin 2018

by Sue Rudd, Director Networks and Service Platforms
October 23rd.. 2018

Copyright©2018 Strategy Analytics, Inc.

Oct 23rd..2018 Copyright © 2018 Strategy Analytics, Inc. 1
Outline
 State of Network Slicing
 Definitions and Misconceptions
 Business Opportunities
 5G-PPP Proposal – TANGO
 Future Challenges for Dynamic Virtual Slicing

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State of Network Slicing
 October 2017 RCR Analyst Angle Webinar on ‘Network Slicing the Key that Unlocks 5G Revenue
Potential - Where 5G meets SDN/NFV’
 Significant Activity in 2018
 Early 4G Slice Mechanisms are being tried:
 Access Point Names & Bearer Routing
 Multi-Operator Core Network (MOCN)
 Dedicated Core Networks (DECOR()
 SD-WAN VPNs demonstrate an early form of Network Slicing
 Dedicated and customized network slices are by ‘Nailed up’ and shared by only one application
flow or customer
 5G Specifications now available:
 3GPP has specified:
 NSSF (Network Slice Selection Function) to support Slice Selection
 Network Slice Subnet Instances (NSSIs) for how a slice can be built
 Network Slice as a Service (NSaaS) for 3rd. Party use
 New 5G Service Based Architecture that allows Virtualized Slicing

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Network Slicing - Definitions
 “Network slicing is about transforming a PLMN from a single network to a network where logical partitions are
created, with appropriate network isolation, resources, optimized topology and specific configuration to serve
various service requirements.”
Source: 3GPPP - ‘Management, Orchestration and Charging for 5G networks (Network Slicing on the way)’

 Eight Requirements for 5G Network Slicing (See: clause 5.2.3 of 3GPP Technical Report 22.891 based on ETSI GS
NFV 002 V1.2.1 (2014-12).
 Operator shall be able to
 Create and manage network slices that fulfil required criteria for different market scenarios
 Operate different network slices in parallel with isolation that for example, prevents one slice’s data communication to negatively
impact services in other slices
 Authorize third parties to create, manage a network slice configuration (e.g., scale slices) via suitable APIs, within the limits set
by the network operator
 And 3GPP system should:
 Conform to service-specific security assurance requirements in a single network slice, rather than the whole network
 Provide a level of isolation between network slices to confines a cyber-attack to a single network slice
 Support network slice elasticity in terms of capacity with no impact on the services of this slice or other slices
 Change the slices with minimal impact on the ongoing subscriber’s services served by other slices: specifically, of new network
slice addition, removal of existing network slice or update of network slice functions or configuration
 Support end-to-end resource management for a network slice
Source: 5G Americas – ‘Network Slicing for 5G and Beyond’

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Network Slicing - Misconceptions

 End-to-End (E2E) Slicing simply means Slice goes from User/Originating Entity to
Application or Service.
 Note: There are no implications for where Applications or Services are processed

 Slices have Scope and that Scope can vary based on the location of the User/Originating
Entity and the Application/Service. So Scope can be from:
 User Device to Service Platform at a Data Center
 UE to RAN application/service [RAN Slice]

 Network Slicing is NOT about ‘Physically Slicing’ the Network. If Operators dedicate
Physical Resources per Slice they lose:
 Benefits of Virtualization for Capacity Utilization
 Redundancy across Networks

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5G enables both Generic Horizontal Slices

3GPP defined three network

slice types, based on the
typical characteristics required
for use cases and verticals:
(1) eMBB (enhanced Mobile
BroadBand), which is basically
an extension of the 4G mobile
broadband service;
(2) URLLC (Ultra-Reliable Low
Latency Communications),
which provides low-latency
and reliable communication;
and
3) mMTC (massive Machine
Type Communications), which
supports massive IoT devices
with narrow bandwidth
requirements.
Source: COMARCH at RAN World 2018 October 2018

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And Vertical Slices that leverage 5G Service Differentiators

Note: Both Vertical

and Horizontal Slices
have Service
Differentiation but
can share a common
pool of Virtualized
Network Resources

Source: Mavenir

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Dynamic Virtual Network Slicing is coming with 5G Service Based Architecture
NGMN 3-layered perspective [NGMN-Concept].
NGMN Concept describes a
3-layer perspective: the
resources layer, the network
slice layer and the services
instances layer.
In this perspective, network
slice instances are built by the
combination of sub-network
instances, eventually shared
among multiple network slices.
To describe this mapping,
NGMN uses network slice
blueprints (templates).
On top of a network slice
instance, multiple service
instances can run (typically,
verticals with similar
characteristics).
Source: NGMN cited in 5G - PPP ‘Network Slicing In 5Gtango’

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Business Opportunities from Dynamic Virtual Network Slicing
 Mass Customization of ‘Private Networks’
 New Markets for SLA based Services - not just cannibalize Fixed Leased Line
VPNs
 SME markets at 40- 60% cost of leased Line VPNs
 Mobile VPNs
 Fixed and Mobile Converged VPNs
 Application Specific MVNOs who aggregate ‘nichey’ vertical markets e.g.
Low End IoT sensors to create Broad Horizontal Slices by Class of Service
 Global Wholesale Network Slices as a Service (NSaaS)

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5G-PPP TANGO - Example Platform Implementation

 Slice Manager is responsible for managing the network slices and has two main sub-
components:
 Slice2NS Mapper
 Slice Lifecycle Manager
 Tango partners

Source: 5G - PPP Network Slicing In 5Gtango

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Challenges for Dynamic Virtual Slicing to be resolved in 2018/19
How to:
 Define and Standardize Parameters to create ‘Templates’
 Characterize incoming Service Flow Requests in Real Time
 Map Service Flows in real time to TOSCA Templates and assign them to Dynamic Slices (DPI, Pattern
Recognition)
 Monitor and Assure Quality of ‘Service per Slice’ to meet Service Level Agreements (SLA) when only
‘Best Efforts’ QCI is available
 Offer Network Slices across Carrier Boundaries (MEF17 IPSec– Cox and Verizon)
 Create Global Multinational VPNs/VxLANs over 1 million Address across Carrier Boundaries (PCCW,
ngena)
 Create Seamless Fixed and Mobile (FMC) Slices on Demand

And therefore:
 Open New Business /SME Markets at 40-60% price of Dedicated Leased lines
 Enable Diverse IoT verticals to share Slices by Class of Service and Create the Carrier Horizontal
Business Cases IoT has been looking for.

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Strategy Analytics - Networks & Service Platforms

Contact: Sue Rudd

Director Service Provider Analysis
email: srudd@strategyanalytics.com

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