To compete in the 5G world you have to be agile

This article originally appeared on LinkedIn on February on February 11th 2021

Delivery in the same old way

Operators are careful when it comes to getting software and hardware on their networks and into operations. They expect or at least have expected, deliveries and upgrades on rather long time-frames. Operators carry out extensive testing to make sure that each delivery is of the needed quality and works as expected on their network and operational systems. Given the efforts it takes to roll out new major releases of software, and associated hardware, it is understandable that these projects happen when there is a compelling business need, and only on a timeframe that suits the Operator. This inherent delay means that Operators are not usually on the latest versions of software and can be 2 years behind the latest features. This is a drain on competitiveness as agile and innovative services eat into the potential revenue streams of Operators.

5G will change that

5G, by design, will change this. 5G Stand-Alone (SA) offers an open, service-based, cloudified, software-driven proposition that addresses these challenges. Cloud-native 5G networks can scale and evolve. Network Functions spin-up on demand to support dynamic provisioning of services or resources. This results in thousands of potential logical networks being needed on shared infrastructure in a matter of minutes.

This sounds exciting. Yet this complexity is managed by fewer human resources than it was only some years ago for non-virtualized networks. Operators will need to work smarter and more efficiently. They need a technology ecosystem that will automate the processes, analyses, and networks. Operators need to be ready for continuous deployments that preserve or improve quality and eliminate downtime.

Operational and monitoring systems will need to match the speed of evolution, flexibility, and dynamism. Full control and visibility of the network are retained via these systems, and problems are solved before Operators’ customers experience them.

Anritsu is ready to deliver on 5G

We have invested in our software suite and processes to support our customers, the Operators. We offer virtualized, containerized, and cloudified solutions that allow Operators full control of their 5G networks. Our solutions deploy in private, hybrid, and public clouds. Our software is delivered on a continuous integration/continuous delivery basis (CI/CD) ensuring Operators always have the latest and most valuable features and capabilities. This is crucial for 5G.

Along with more traditional pricing schemes, we offer recurring and modular ones too. These lower the cost of entry of the initial investments. At the same time, Operators see the business value and gain trust and confidence in us. We then work in long-term partnership with Operators to address their critical business problems.

Come talk to us about how we in Anritsu can help in a 5G world.