Turkcell and Ericsson demonstrate 5G network slicing success

Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC, news, filings) and Turkcell (NYSE: TKC; BIST: TCELL) have marked an important milestone in their partnership to build a network slicing solution, in a successful 5G Standalone (SA) proof of concept (PoC). Together the companies demonstrated how tailored 5G network slices can be instantiated on demand to meet the connectivity needs of customers, how multiple slices can serve a single 5G device with both enterprise and consumer user profiles and how charging can be differentiated among different slices.

The PoC demonstrated how ‘work’ and ‘personal’ applications on a 5G device (such as a mobile phone) can be associated to different profiles, each linked to dedicated network slices. This capability means Turkcell, app developers, enterprises and subscribers can have greater flexibility and performance when it comes to the use cases and strongly illustrates the value of having a 5G SA network.

The PoC was implemented on a 5G Core testbed running on Turkcell’s Telco Cloud infrastructure deployed in lab environment of Turkcell. The setup contained Ericsson’s dual-mode 5G Core, Dynamic Radio Resource Partitioning, a feature of 5G RAN Slicing and Ericsson Radio System products. Automation was provided through Ericsson Orchestrator. Additionally, the PoC included Ericsson Charging, which was utilized for differentiated charging models based on slice characteristics.

The PoC also relied on Ericsson Dynamic Network Slice Selection which implements the User Equipment Route Selection Policy (URSP) functionality – a feature that enables a single device to connect to multiple network slices simultaneously providing flexible separation of services and enhanced traffic steering to maximize quality of experience.  In this demo, commercially available 5G enabled mobile handsets were used.

By enabling automation of hybrid infrastructure, including Virtual and Cloud Native Network functions (VNFs and CNFs), Ericsson Orchestrator supports advanced 5G SA use cases through resource orchestration, VNF life cycle management and service orchestration for both telecommunication and enterprise landscapes.

Underpinned by the Ericsson network, the PoC is another step in Turkcell’s journey of preparing a robust, nationwide 5G SA network to meet the ambitious and evolving enterprise and consumer needs in Türkiye.

Prof. Dr. Vehbi Çağrı Güngör, Chief Network Technologies Officer at Turkcell, says: “We are excited and committed to collaborating with our partners in implementing cutting-edge technologies. The slicing functionalities showcased in the PoC are poised to potentially become the cornerstone for pioneering new 5G service offerings in the future. Our successful 5G network slicing PoC with Ericsson has brought us one step closer to fulfilling the needs of both enterprises and consumers requiring customized QoE and tailored connectivity. The adoption of slicing functionalities in 5G networks has the potential to drive innovation, enable new business models, and enhance the overall capabilities of future service offerings.”

Network slicing has an enormous business potential for communication service providers (CSP), as it offers many opportunities and possible go-to-market routes, especially in the enterprise segment. Ericsson estimates that the value of slicing-enabled revenue for CSPs will reach USD 45 billion by 2025.

Işıl Yalçın Vice President and Head of Ericsson Türkiye at Ericsson Middle East and Africa, at Ericsson, says: “At Ericsson, we believe that network slicing is the Communication Service Provider’s best answer to building and managing a network that exceeds the emerging demands from a wide range of users. Therefore, conducting a network slicing automation proof of concept was a natural next step in our long-standing collaboration with Turkcell. We are committed to supporting the company in translating its 5G ambitions into reality and creating value for individuals as well as enterprises.”

Together, the two companies have been trialing 5G SA technology and innovative 5G use cases where many important milestones for consumers and enterprise users have been achieved, such as 5G-connected autonomous mobile robots, sensor network, private 5G network, network slicing for enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and fixed wireless access (FWA).

ABOUT TURKCELL

Turkcell (NYSE:TKC; BIST: TCELL) is a digital operator headquartered in Türkiye, serving its customers with its unique portfolio of digital services along with voice, messaging, data and IPTV services on its mobile and fixed networks. Turkcell Group companies operate in 4 countries – Türkiye, Ukraine, Belarus, and Northern Cyprus. Turkcell launched LTE services in its home country on April 1st, 2016, employing LTE-Advanced and 3 carrier aggregation technologies in 81 cities. Turkcell offers up to 10 Gbps fiber internet speed with its FTTH services. Turkcell Group reported TRY26.0 billion revenue in Q323 with total assets of TRY149.2 billion as of September 30, 2023. It has been listed on the NYSE and the BIST since July 2000, and is the only dual-listed company in Türkiye. Read more at www.turkcell.com.tr