Slicing and orchestration in service-oriented 5G networks

The softwarization of network processing components coupled with the virtualization of network infrastructure constitute the foundation for a multi-service and multi-tenant architecture. In this context, network slicing and orchestration become two key enablers to transform the legacy physical infrastructures into multiple logical networks, one per service instance. They also enable the flexible customization, composition and management of virtualized network functions, while sharing the resources of different types/domains among multiple network slice instances according to service QoS.

This poses an important shift from the communication-oriented 4G to the service-orient 5G, where the network shall be dynamically controlled and managed to meet service requirements, ranging from people watching videos to surgeons performing critical operations anywhere on the planet. For this to work, however, we require some fundamental network designs to be “reconsidered” and “rearchitected”. This keynote is all about the disruptive technology enablers in 5G, which will allow us to break through this next tech frontier.