The fifth generation of mobile communications, 5G, is so far attracting users with high bandwidth and short data transfer times. However, at the MWC trade fair for slimmer mobile communications, another 5G innovation began to focus.
Photo: NicoElNino – shutterstock.com
At the Mobile World Congress, the world’s first implementation of the new 5G mobile functionality was announced on Monday, with which network providers can give their customers a guarantee of service. The so-called “end-to-end (E2E) network slicing” was performed by Deutsche Telekom, supplier of network equipment Ericsson and Samsung Electronics with a commercially available smartphone (Samsung Galaxy S21 5G).
In Network Segmentation, a cellular network is divided into specialized segments in order to be able to meet the most diverse requirements for data rates, speeds, and capacities. The network is figuratively cut into “slices”. This is where the term network chipset comes from. Layers are adapted to the requirements of the application. In traffic, for example, the technology can provide passengers with a high-bandwidth network layer for streaming videos, while another layer provides data with a particularly fast response in order to link car driving functions.
However, the world premiere was not shown on the exhibition grounds in Barcelona, but was carried out in the laboratory of Deutsche Telekom in Bonn. The three companies involved announced that the process could also be used for online games based on cloud broadcasting. For the best gaming experience, a network disk specially optimized for very short response times can be provided. At the same time, a commercial customer can use a critical security application on a separate chip in the same radio cell. “Both customers get a guaranteed quality of service.”
Claudia Neamat, a member of the Communications Board of Directors for Technology and Innovation, said the new network feature forms the basis for creating new service offerings for individual and business customers. Eric Echoden, chief technology officer at Ericsson, said network slicing is an important tool for generating revenue with 5G. “With technology enabling software-defined virtual networks with specific characteristics, new digital services for consumers and businesses are becoming a reality.” (dpa/rs)
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