Introduction

As 5G technology advances and is adopted globally, network operators must decide whether to move their 5G core to the public cloud. While popular cloud providers have been pushing for this move, most operators have chosen to stick with traditional private cloud deployments due to the complexity and high investment costs associated with 5G Service-Based Architecture (SBA) networks.

Functional 5G SBA core

5G SBA networks have around 36 network functions that are much more complex compared to previous generations. They also use container-based cloud-native network functions (CNFs), which eliminate the dependency of tight coupling between the software and hardware resources. Before 5G, networks were built by end-to-end core vendors that supplied network functions built on tightly integrated x86-based hardware. As service providers make this paradigm shift from tightly integrated software and hardware to cloud-native CNFs, there are numerous challenges to consider.

Challenges of moving 5G core to the public cloud and solutions to overcome those

Complexity and time-to-market

Implementing a 5G SA network on a telco cloud is already a complex task. Moving to the public cloud would increase that complexity even further due to the need for high-level network security. Time-to-market for CSPs that have already deployed 5G core on the public cloud varies between four to five years.

How to overcome this challenge

CSPs should thoroughly understand the requirements for moving the network to the 5G core. Conducting lab simulations and beta trials before commercial deployment can ensure optimal network performance and availability.

Reliability and performance

Telco-grade network reliability is expected to be 99.9990% for mobile broadband and 99.9999% for private wireless applications. Public cloud service providers (SPs) typically have reliability numbers between 99.50% to 99.99%. Public cloud SPs must meet these high-reliability standards and have geo-redundancy in place to prevent single points of failure that affect the entire network. In case of network downtime, telecom operators should commit to restoring the network in the minimum possible time and ensure that the network outage is confined to one country when including multi-national CSPs.

How to overcome this challenge

CSPs must confirm whether their network reliability meets the expected standards from various public cloud SPs. CSPs should verify the network uptime SLA from the public cloud SP. They must also consider geo-redundancy and failover mechanisms using various data center zones from their cloud provider.

Data sovereignty and security

Security is a major concern for CSPs when moving to the public cloud. Public cloud service providers must meet all data sovereignty and regulatory requirements and keep users’ personal and lawful intercept data within the country’s territory.

How to overcome this challenge

CSPs need to confirm that the data center of the public cloud SP is within the country’s territory. Regular audits need to be performed by CSPs to keep track of where and how the data is stored.

Agility

To fully utilize the potential of 5G, CSPs need to build an agile network that can introduce new features quickly. Public cloud service providers must provide granular network control and make it easy for CSPs to install software upgrades.

How to overcome this challenge

When considering a move to a public cloud, CSPs should consider the following factors:

• The level of network control that will retain in the public cloud.
• Any loss of control that may occur compared to a telco cloud.
• The process for installing 5G core software upgrades and introducing new features.

Total cost of ownership

When switching from a telco to a public cloud, CSPs must consider various factors such as performance differences, user plane function (UPF) throughput differences, potential lost revenues during network downtime, costs of changing vendors, and upgrading plans.

How to overcome this challenge

CSPs should evaluate the flexibility and cost of different public cloud plans regarding network capacity and bandwidth to determine the most cost-effective option. It is important for CSPs to carefully review the plan’s network capacity limitations, any additional charges for exceeding capacity, and potential penalties for scenarios such as signaling storms. By negotiating these terms in advance, CSPs can minimize unexpected costs.

Conclusion

Moving 5G cores to the public cloud is a complex decision with several challenges. CSPs must weigh the pros and cons and consider their options before deciding. Alepo’s 5G Core network solution is cloud-native with service-based architecture, which can help CSPs run a 5G core in the cloud environment. In addition, it can be deployed on multiple cloud platforms, such as AWS, Google, and Azure. To start your 5G journey, send an email to market.development@alepo.com. We’ll help you get started.

Introduction

What is cloud NWDAF, and how does it work?

NWDAF integrates will all 5G core network functions

How can operators use cloud NWDAF in 5G networks?

• Proactive troubleshooting: By continuously monitoring network data, NWDAF can help operators identify potential issues before they become major problems. This can enable operators to take proactive measures to prevent outages and other service disruptions, leading to improved reliability and quality of service.
• Optimization of network performance: NWDAF can provide data-driven recommendations for optimizing network performance. For example, it can identify the most effective configurations for different network scenarios, such as high-traffic areas or special events, and automatically apply them to improve network efficiency and capacity.
• Streamlined deployment and management: By automating network configuration and optimization tasks, NWDAF can help reduce the time and effort required to deploy and manage 5G networks. This can help operators to bring new services to market faster and more efficiently.
• Enhanced user experience: By improving network reliability and performance, NWDAF can help to enhance the user experience on 5G networks, leading to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Conclusion

Introduction

However, technology is advancing rapidly; the idea of ​​6G being in talks so early while 5G is yet to make significant global inroads, shows how quickly the technology is progressing.

With 6G, we will likely see data speeds so high that hundreds of gigabits of files will download within a matter of seconds and improved network latency and processing speeds. With that in mind, let’s dive deep into the sixth generation of wireless data networks to see how it will impact the world.

What is 6G?

As the successor to 5G cellular technology, 6G is the sixth generation of wireless networks. Like all previous generations, 6G will build on and enhance the capabilities of 5G, augmented by advances in digital technology. That will mean expanding on speed and data capacity, plus the innovations regarding IoT (the Internet of Things) that 5G will make practical.

The 6G technology market promises massive improvements in imaging, presence technology, and site awareness. Working with artificial intelligence (AI), 6G computing infrastructure will be able to determine the optimal location of computing power, including decisions about data storage and sharing.

According to some reports by telecommunications experts, 6G will apply technologies designed for mobile phones to a broad range of applications, including transportation, agriculture, and advanced home networking. That will allow people to experience a seamless connection between the Internet and their daily lives.

5G vs 6G

Let’s understand some fundamental differences between 5G and 6G through the following table:

When is 6G expected?

The concept of 6G is still in its infancy, but it has incredible potential. 6G networks may become commercial sometime around 2030, or at least when most telecom companies will be running trials, and that is when we’ll see phone manufacturers tease 6G-capable phones. That said, no one knows “exactly” when the new wireless spectrum will become available. It is because of regulation and frequency allocation, which takes time.

According to a report from the local news agency Yonhap, South Korea plans to introduce 6G services for commercial use by approximately 2028. The adoption of 6G technology will bring significant advancements in various industries and sectors, including communication, transportation, and healthcare. The government and private companies in South Korea have been actively investing in research and development to ensure that the country is at the forefront of 6G innovation. The target date for the commercialization of 6G services in South Korea aligns with the timeline set by other countries, such as the United States and China, which are also working towards developing and implementing 6G technology.

6G will likely use the distributed radio access network (RAN) and the terahertz (THz) spectrum to boost capacity, minimize latency, and improve spectrum sharing. Advanced mobile communications technology, such as cognitive and highly secure data networks, will also be used. It will also necessitate spectral bandwidth growth orders of magnitude faster than 5G.

What to expect with 6G?

6G technology will significantly improve upon 5G in terms of network coverage and reliability, allowing for a higher density of mobile devices to connect and interact with each other in real time.

Additionally, 6G will optimize moment-to-moment interaction by improving network reliability more than a hundred times and reducing the error rate by ten times. Improvements in these areas will also benefit smartphones and other mobile network technology and many emerging technologies.

Some experts believe that 6G networks could one day allow you to reach speeds of up to one terabyte per second (Tbps) on your internet devices. That’s a thousand times faster than one Gbps, among the fastest speeds available on most home internet networks today. It’s a hundred times faster than 5G’s supposed top speed of 10 Gbps. So, yes, that’s an optimistic estimate, and we’re a long way from reaching those speeds. However, researchers predict that 6G will focus on extremely high bandwidth and reliability. With 6G, the Internet will be instantly and continuously accessible and integrated into the daily lives of many of us.

As mentioned earlier, 6G technology will also cover a much larger area than 5G, which means that we would need fewer towers to cover an area of land. That would be highly beneficial if you’re looking to have towers in places where it rains frequently or trees and vegetation are abundant.

In addition, 6G will also integrate many new technologies and changes in the core communication network structure. In particular, AI and the IoT will take center stage in 6G.

One of the main advantages of 6G will be its ability to facilitate instant communication between phones, computers, robots, and more. Technologies such as terahertz waves, cloud computing, and edge orchestration will enable the widespread implementation of wearable smart devices, virtual reality headsets, automated infrastructure, and many other exciting things.

Conclusion

While 6G networks do not yet exist and are currently in the research phase, companies are already anticipating cutting-edge wireless network use cases utilizing 6G technology after successful comparisons of 5G and 6G networks.

The new generation network is still in the process of finalizing most of its primary characteristics. That includes high-speed data transfer rates and multiple radio channels for increased reliability and coverage area. Once these features are ready, we’ll start seeing public testing of 6G devices.

Today, everyone has their own unique internet connection speed and data usage limits. That is because each person uses their WiFi router without thinking about interference levels or performance issues. With 6G, all wireless devices will connect to a single high-speed internet channel with no limits whatsoever.

In any case, the prospect of using 6G remains popular among many. It may resolve many of the current issues related to wireless communication.