IEEE Future Networks Tech Focus
Volume 2, Number 3, December 2018 

In This Issue

• On Consideration of RAN Slicing - From the Operator's Perspective
• The Levels of Intelligence of Mobile Networks and Consideration of Architecture Evolution
• Disruptive Models for Telecom Operators in a New Digital Ecosystem

 

On Consideration of RAN Slicing - From the Operator's Perspective

Chih-Lin I, Junshuai Sun, Xingyu Han, Yingying Wang, Xueyan Huang, Green Communication Research Center, China Mobile Research Institute, Beijing, P. R. China

5G provides the capability to support various services, which means the original one-size-fits-all architecture and functions cannot satisfy the diversified requirements of different scenarios. As one of the most promising service-oriented technologies, end-to-end network slicing was put forward to support the 5G provisions. As a vital part of the end-to-end slicing, the RAN slicing is still under-developed. This article provides a detailed investigation on the RAN slicing with functional explorations and operational procedures, hoping to give heuristic approaches to the implementation of the RAN slicing.

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The Levels of Intelligence of Mobile Networks and Consideration of Architecture Evolution

Yan Wang, Hua Huang, Yingzhe Li, Wei Zhou, Wireless Network Research Department, Huawei Technologies, Shanghai, China
Chih-Lin I, Qi Sun, Siming Zhang, China Mobile Research Institute, Beijing, China

The rejuvenation of AI technology provides a new way to solve the increasingly complex and difficult problems in the 5G network, which makes the network more intelligent and autonomic. This field has gradually become a hot topic both in the academia and industry. But the industry has not yet reached a unified definition of an intelligent mobile network, and how to measure and judge the level of intelligence. This paper attempts to give the definition of the levels of mobile network intelligence and analyzes the influence of intelligence on the evolution of wireless network architecture, hoping to help the industry to reach consensus.

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Disruptive Models for Telecom Operators in a New Digital Ecosystem

Christian James Aguilar-Armenta, Federal Telecommunications Institute of Mexico

Because the new digital ecosystem implies the development of novel telecommunications services, both telecom operators and regulators are faced with new opportunities and challenges. It is thus necessary to understand the role that telecom operators will play in the value chain of new business models, their interactions with other stakeholders, as well as the potential regulatory impacts of all this. In this article we present an examination of some key innovative business models wherein operators are the main actors. Our data analysis leads us to conclusions about regulatory challenges and potential competition implications for 5G.

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