5G Network will be Cloud Native and Software Defined

With 5G, a network will be an innovation platform that can be sliced and priced to meet varying application demands

Giving his take on the 5G revolution in India, Manish Vyas, President, Communications, Media & Entertainment Business, and the CEO, Network Services, Tech Mahindra says that 5G presents a significant oppor- tunity for the Indian telecom industry. 5G Network is going to be truly Cloud Native, Software Defined, end-to-end. Not only 5G Core Network but 5G RAN (Radio Access Network) will also be virtualized and dis-aggregated further.

He further discusses if there are any differences in the preparation for 5G infrastructure in comparison with Indian and Global/European service providers. According to him, 5G Network will be Cloud Native and Software Defined. This Network Transformation has already started with SDN (SoftwareDefined Networking) /NFV (Network Functions Virtualization) in 4G LTE (Long-Term Evolution) networks. CSPs (Communication Service Providers) across the globe and Indian Telcos are no different in this regard and have already embarked on their Network Transformation journeys. Decoupling the software from the underlying hardware enables Telcos to achieve the economiesof-Cloud in their networks. SDN/NFV investments done in 4G LTE network will carry forward and pave the way for 5G; a lot of this is about future proofing their network investments. With 5G, a network will be an innovation platform that can be sliced and priced to meet varying application demands.

In addition to SDN/NFV, another key infrastructure aspect to bear in mind is the need for more and more fiber, both for front haul and backhaul. Investments made in rolling out fiber will be futureproof and will pave the way for 5G. 5G network will employ a wide range of spectrum including low-band (<1GHz), mid-band (<6GHz) and mmWave.