CLOUD AND CYBER
Goetz , Global Lead , RAN Systems Architect 5G at Dell Technologies .
According to GSMA ’ s Chief Technology Officer , Alex Sinclair , network slicing has become a prominent feature of 5G because it allows customers to enjoy connectivity and data processing tailored to their specific needs and business requirements . This is particularly important in the 5G era , as different industry verticals are seeking to leverage the power of technology to boost productivity .
“ The ability to customise network capabilities also greatly improves operational efficiency , cutting down on the time-to-market for products and services ,” explains Sinclair .
“ Additionally , network slicing allows businesses to increase the security measures for slices that handle more sensitive processes . It provides greater defences against cyber-attacks , since breaches can be isolated to a single slice ,” he adds .
This is particularly significant , as the introduction of 5G has brought new cybersecurity challenges for security professionals . 5G ’ s software-based systems have more traffic routing points than 4G and have multiple unregulated entry points to the network , which can allow hackers access to location tracking and even cellular reception for logged-in users .
Automation and the future of network slicing As operators may be expected to maintain up to thousands of network slices , automation will be essential to the infrastructure needed if network slicing is going to unlock the potential of 5G in the future .
“ Automation technology will be used to manage slice lifecycle , traffic load , service
“Network slicing is a concept built into 5G standards by 3GPP , which makes this differentiation of service possible ”
SHAMIK MISHRA CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER CONNECTIVITY , CAPGEMINI ENGINEERING
66 October 2022