On its 5G Stand Alone (SA) network, PLDT’s wireless business Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) has successfully implemented a fully working, end-to-end network slicing Proof of Concept (PoC). This month, the Proof of Concept was completed at the PLDT-Smart Technology Laboratory (Technolab) in Makati City.
This is the most recent advancement in PLDT and Smart’s two-year experiment with network slicing.
The Technolab’s end-to-end Network Slicing system consists of slicing functions from each network component—Access, Transport, and Core. This is a first in the Philippines since PLDT and Smart are among the first few worldwide operators to deploy 5G standard network slicing using “Slice Controller” for each network segment.
Smart successfully proved that a “slice” may allocate and reserve network resources for specified services and consumers in the aforementioned PoC. This implies that Smart’s network may give unique services to companies and consumers via various network slices, giving quality of service that is tailored to their needs.
Apart from possibly allowing enterprises to use a “slice” of PLDT and Smart’s network to act as their own private network, giving them with best-in-class, fiber-like connectivity through 5G, this technology might also allow customers to “slice” the network according to their own requirements.
“This is a very exciting opportunity for us to develop new capabilities that will enable us to offer differentiated services or services with varying levels of quality. This means we can partition the network for specific purposes. For example, we will be able to support drone services (high bandwidth and low delay), Massive IoT (low bandwidth and could be non-delay sensitive), eHealth or remote surgery (high bandwidth and sensitive to delay) in the near future, and more, in our common infrastructure. Without slicing, we would need to build different networks for each of these services. Slicing is an enabler for us. We have tested it in our Lab and we have proven that it works. This will give way to more innovative services,” said Arvin Siena, VP/Head of Technology Strategy and Transformation Office in Smart.
Network slicing, a key promise of 5G technology, will also enable the automation of vertical industries such as manufacturing, automotive, and utilities, bringing them into compliance with Industry 4.0 and later to 5.0, as well as provide a better experience for individual consumers, especially in today’s bandwidth-heavy and video-intensive digital lifestyle.
As a result of this, PLDT and Smart have joined the ranks of European and Asian carriers investigating network slicing as part of their 5G upgrades and services. With its significant End-to-End network slicing activities, Smart, as a technological leader, is leading 5G development in the nation.
