and profitability. In the media sector, for instance, journalists and content creators need real-time, high-quality uploads during events where network congestion is high. With 5G SA and slicing, CSPs are delivering dedicated, high-priority network segments for this purpose. 

Likewise, retail and live event venues are seeing clear benefits of 5G SA-powered differentiated connectivity too. At crowded events, thousands of mobile devices in use can place heavy loads on the network. Differentiated connectivity allows CSPs to prioritise performance where it matters, maintaining service quality for selected subscribers and applications in such situations, despite the spike in demand. 

Differentiated connectivity capabilities are already live across more than a dozen countries, including the likes of Singapore and Australia, and customers are often willing to pay a premium for them. In fact, industry research shows that 4 in 10 consumers express an interest in paying to access performance assurance. Today, eight providers across six markets are already providing such assurance capabilities as a commercial offer to subscribers. 

And as 5G SA capabilities roll out further across more networks, the potential for differentiated connectivity to help CSPs meet evolving customer connectivity needs with a premium, dynamic, and flexible service becomes more prevalent.     

Providing business connectivity when it’s needed most

The rise of 5G SA and differentiated connectivity comes at a time when business connectivity needs are evolving at a rapid pace. Enterprises today require dependable and predictable network performance, especially when demand is high. Whether streaming a live event, operating a construction site, or managing logistics, businesses cannot afford to depend on best-effort connectivity. If a traditional network reaches its upper capacity boundaries, it may mean customer disappointment, operational disruptions, or worse. 

But there’s more that providers can do today to meet these evolving needs. Australian CSP Telstra’s Dynamic 5G service is a notable example of how differentiated connectivity can be delivered commercially as a managed service. The solution provides Australian enterprises with access to dedicated 5G slices. 

These slices offer committed throughput and predictable performance. If the required service level is not met during a particular period, the customer is not charged. This model introduces a new level of accountability and confidence for enterprise customers. 

This dynamic 5G slicing offering from the likes of Telstra, among other providers around the world, is supported by cross-domain service orchestration and assurance technology, which allows Telstra to manage network slices from end to end. The system ensures automatic provisioning, service-level monitoring, and seamless integration with existing enterprise tools. 

This technology has the power to add enormous value to existing infrastructure and how CSPs and their customers use it. CSPs are creating premium slices with guaranteed performance levels and charge accordingly, leading to increased Average Revenue Per User (ARPU), thereby driving the potential profitability of their 5G infrastructure in the process.

APIs and integration as revenue drivers

Customised performance is just one aspect of what differentiated connectivity can offer. Another avenue that CSPs — and other businesses — can take to derive greater value out of the dynamic, flexible network capabilities that 5G SA offers is by exposing network functionality through APIs. Using network APIs, CSPs enable third parties to embed connectivity into their own services that are precisely tailored to the performance and reliability needs of each use case. Driven by collaborative work