Pointers at Glance
- Nokia and Safaricom trial Africa’s first 5G FWA network slicing on a live 4G and 5G network.
- It enables operators to divide their networks into various virtual slices that can be optimized for a specific application or service.
Nokia and Safaricom have tried Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) network slicing on a live 4G and 5G network in Africa.
FWA Network slicing enables operators to divide their networks into multiple virtual slices that can be optimized for a specific application or service. Each slice can be given its priority in addition to different levels of security.
The pioneering trial utilized a multi-vendor network environment and included RAN, transport, core, and software upgrades to a range of Nokia’s products and services.
Ramy Hashem, Head of Safaricom Customer Team at Nokia, said it is great to have completed this pilot with Safaricom, which is a giant step forward in providing Safaricom with state-of-the-art connectivity. Early experience with new slicing technology is invaluable in understanding the new business opportunities it enables.
He added that Nokia was the first vendor to offer a slicing solution. They look forward to continuing their partnership with Safaricom in providing world-class 4G and 5G FWA network slicing services to their customers.
The successful pilot marks the first time 4G/5G FWA network slicing has been achieved in Africa.
James Maitai, Network Director at Safaricom, commented that they are proud to have hosted Africa’s first successful pilot of 4G/ 5G FWA slicing on their network and looking forward to tailoring their service offerings to individual customers and industries to meet customer’s needs for high-speed connectivity precisely and without unnecessary cost.
He added that Nokia’s expertise had been key to this success, and they anticipate many more strategic wins in this area as their business expands.
The 4G/ 5G slicing solution of Nokia won an ‘Innovative Breakthrough in Mobile Technology’ award at GTI 2021. The solution supports LTE, 5G SA, and 5G NSA technologies with slice service continuity between the networks.
