BT identifies four key telco priorities for 5G architectures

UK telco BT has both a comprehensive fixed-line business and, through its ownership of EE, a mobile business. It sees 5G as a means to further converge its network assets and services, and has identified four key priorities for 5G architectures – which are also applicable to other telcos planning their migration to 5G.

BT suggests that most operators need to gradually deploy 5G in coexistence with their 4G and legacy 2G/3G networks, and that having multiple deployment options is key. Additionally, a fully converged 5G architecture must improve user experience and help maintain a sustainable cost‐base for operators.

Network slicing is a hugely popular concept, but BT cautions that it requires a fully managed end‐to‐end approach, including recursiveness and flexibility, for it to deliver on its promise. And finally, existing roaming models need to be re-drawn, with federated network slices allow home operators to extend their service domains into the visited network.

(For more information on BT's network slicing tests, the telco has a video here)

Filmed at: ETSI 5G Network Infrastructure Summit, Nice, 6 April, 2017