Is Network Slicing the Next Generation of Revenue Streaming?

Communications service providers (CSPs) know that nothing is predictable in network traffic except its constantly shifting and ever-expanding nature. That makes it tough to provide the predictable, always-on services your clients expect. 5G technology can help you with that. Imagine combining the coverage of your large, public network with the site- or event-specific tailoring of a private 5G network and offering that to your customers. You can if you use network slicing.

You Need the Right Tools to Get More Return on Your 5G Infrastructure Investments 

One study, “Network Slicing: A go-to-market guide to capture high revenue potential,” estimates network slicing alone can generate $200 billion for CSPs by 2030. CSPs with 5G core networks can offer scaled, specialized service tiers to both enterprise and subscriber clients to recoup their infrastructure investments and add revenue streams. Of course, if you’re going to offer customized services, you must be able to guarantee these new offerings while maintaining the excellent quality of service your customers are used to. As Bruce Kelley, CTO and senior vice president of NETSCOUT, noted in his recent Forbes article, “To serve their customers and maximize the returns on their [5G] investment, CSPs will need processes and technologies that allow them to identify and anticipate service disruptions.” You need tools that give you end-through-end network visibility to address not only the expansion of your network in both size and complexity but also the change in functionality from 4G to 5G. You’ll also want AI/ML-driven automated assurance and security tools that easily identify and eliminate recurring problems.

Slice Off New Service Offerings for Enterprises and Subscribers

In his article, Kelley further discusses the new services CSPs can offer enterprise and consumer clients. Because network slicing allows ultimate flexibility in network resource allocation, an operator could prepare for short-term but massive events—think huge concerts or sporting matches—and temporarily designate the extensive resources required for a smooth event for hosts, participants, and viewers alike but then remove that slice when the event is completed. Additionally, defined, high-reliability network slices can support robotic devices in both manufacturing and medicine, where the operator is in one location and the robot in another. Network slicing also allows for customized service level agreements (SLAs), which allows you to offer enterprise clients unique security and automation processes and services best suited for their needs.

You Can’t Be What You Can’t See

If you want to be known as a world-class provider of seamless and reliably excellent 5G offerings, you have to be able to see all of your networks—network slices included. As you know, 5G is fundamentally different from 4G technology. So, not only is your network growing in size, but it’s growing in complexity. Delivering the seamless and reliably excellent services your customers expect requires a continuous, real-time view of your network that provides an advanced warning of performance degradation. NETSCOUT sees that in your future.

Read more about 5G network slicing advantages and challenges in the full article in Forbes. 

Read more about planning your 5G networks: 5 Questions to Ask When Creating Private 5G Networks.