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How to overcome 5G challenges: the four key pillars for a successful future

5G unlocks a whole new world of possibilities, but also brings increased complexity for communication service providers (CSPs). To overcome these new challenges, we need more advanced technology – in other words, networks need to evolve. Have you seen the film Back to the Future? Imagine that you can jump into the DeLorean and travel to the future to learn the key pillars for success. In this blog that's what we're doing – jump in!

Oct 19, 2022 | 4 min.

Noelia Lopez

Sustainability and AI Marketing Driver

Hashtags

#intelligentautomation #ranautomation

Oct 19, 2022 | 4 min.

Noelia Lopez

Sustainability and AI Marketing Driver

Noelia Lopez

Sustainability and AI Marketing Driver

Hashtags

#intelligentautomation #ranautomation

5G is enabling multiple and diverse new use cases, such as real-time streaming of virtual reality feeds from the metaverse, but it is also increasing complexity for CSPs. To prepare for the future, CSPs must simplify operations, increase sustainability and improve the user experience. To successfully do this, we need tomorrow´s technology today. In other words, networks need to evolve. The good news is that we don’t need to wait; we are already creating the networks of the future and providing an evolutionary pathway towards intelligently automated radio networks.

In my earlier blog, Who are the intelligent agents in network operations and why we need them? I introduced the use of AI technology in network operations and how this technology can help achieve better results in networks optimization and performance. In this blog, I will build upon this information and provide tips – or, should we say, the foundation – on how CSPs can succeed in the journey to build the networks of the future.

As mentioned, 5G radio access networks (RAN) will have to support a multiplicity of use cases. The challenge is how to overcome this complexity and ensure great customer experiences with efficient energy consumption for sustainability.

It will require multiple scenarios evaluation with the different networks configurations to predict the optimal configuration for network performance, energy consumption and radio resource efficiency. For that task we need to apply new technologies. We need artificial intelligence (AI) and deep reinforcement learning (DRL) techniques applied everywhere, in both products and services.

Nevertheless, applying AI is not enough. We need AI everywhere but not just anywhere. In other words, we need to execute it where it makes sense to unlock all the AI potential benefits. Below, I share four pillars that will enable CSPs to succeed today and in the future based on this holistic approach.

1. Using AI to support CSPs' decision-making

Data is the single most important factor in decision making – good decisions cannot be taken without relevant and reliable data. Nevertheless, there is a limit to the amount of data a person or a team can handle, and this is where AI comes in.

AI helps to automate the data handling process too, sift through big data to distill it and, ultimately, create actionable insights. By coupling AI, data and automation, a virtuous cycle is created, with data improving the AI algorithm and further enhancing the networks. AI data-driven algorithms enable the networks to adapt to an ever-changing environment to meet ever-changing demands.

The power of an intelligent approach can be demonstrated by Ericsson’s Advanced Microwave Insights solution. This solution recognizes events in a live network such as weather events or temporary blocking events (blocking vehicles). It can detect different types of interference and could potentially be used to track weather in the future. With this information CSPs can identify performance issues for faster resolution.

There are many other examples of this AI data-driven approach in the intelligent services and network evolution capabilities that are part of the intelligent RAN automation solutions.

In short, CSPs benefit from these AI data-driven automation solutions in network planning, deployment, optimization and healing. Some examples of these solutions available today are shown below.

Figure 1: How AI delivers value in Networks

2. rApps to boost efficiency and foster innovation

Have you heard of the rApps? What are they and why are they needed? We are mentioning them here because they are part of the next step in the intelligent network evolution. Imagine that you have the networks evolution almanac, that tells you what will be the new services that will be required and demanded by your customers. Well, you would like as well to be prepared for those new services as soon as possible to win competitive advantage.

rApps provide new technology needed to realize the main ambitions of CSPs: they help foster innovation with a short time to market, improve performance and optimize CAPEX and OPEX investments.

The rApps are a new software architecture paradigm that brings the following benefits to the CSPs:

Agility for new use cases implementation in an open ecosystem where customers and partners can be developers.
Simplified automated network operations with Truly Closed loop Automation with CSPs in control.
Boosting network efficiency with AI applied in the network at scale to get the most out of the radio network.

rApps are applications designed for automation and optimization. They are deployed and managed on the non-real time RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC). If you haven’t heard about RIC before, don't worry, this is an industry term to talk about the platform where the apps are executed. We will talk more about that in the third pillar.

We can already provide examples of rApps improving energy efficiency and performance to create more sustainable networks with great user experience. They can reduce the daily energy consumption by 15 percent with zero impact on performance, lower the transmission power by 20 percent and increase user data throughput by up to 30 percent in a congested network.

3. SMO and intelligent automation are must-haves for future-proof architecture to ensure security and openness

Let´s talk more in deep about the intelligent network’s evolution and the new architecture.

There is a demand to streamline the number of platforms and to make them more open and secure. This is realized in the industry defined Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) platform. Ericsson Intelligent Automation Platform (EIAP) is the Ericsson SMO with a strong AI foundation. to make it clearer, SMO is the industry standard and EIAP is the implementation of the SMO platform with added value and functionality.

Let´s see the relationship between the rApps and the platform and why both are needed.

rApps are placed in the EIAP where there is automated support for both rApps and AI capabilities. EIAP automate rApps lifecycle management and AI support components such as deployment, model monitoring, and retraining. This functionality allows development and deployment individually with automated orchestration and conflict management. In summary, rApps orchestrate the radio and the EIAP is the rApps orchestrator.

Ericsson is leading within the industry standards (O-RAN alliance) to ensure that the platform and its rApps and interfaces will be secure. In addition, based on developed platform and rApps functionality, faster and deeper threat detection will improve RAN security.

4. Open ecosystem for innovation and monetization

The main objective for the open architecture of the platform and rApps is innovation and monetization. This goes beyond interfaces standardization; we need to enable the CSPs to have partner collaboration and faster development of new use cases.

When talking of the Intelligent RAN Automation solutions and how they can empower services providers with shorter time to market for new use cases and new services, the software development kit (SDK) appears as a key enabler. Along with the EIAP, the Ericsson SDK, frameworks and components enable and expand the developer ecosystem around rApps.

Figure 2: Networks architecture evolution and rApps ecosystem

In summary, this environment supports both CSPs’ and third-party ambitions to provide new functionalities, covering network-wide automation use cases (i.e. for monetization).

Conclusion

AI applied to the networks automation together with the architecture presented with these four key pillars support an open ecosystem of constant innovation and collaboration for all parties: service providers, vendors and partners in the future development of the telecom industry.

AI technology will empower CSPs to win the 5G game by providing a competitive advantage with data-driven AI algorithms, while also enabling them to reduce CAPEX and OPEX, simplify operations complexity, increase sustainability and improve user experience. At Ericsson, some of these functionalities have been already tested with excellent results.