Nokia completes 5G core standalone network trial with Japan’s KDDI

• Trial involved 3GPP Release 15 compliant, containerized standalone 5G core
• 5G standalone core network takes KDDI one step closer to network slicing and ultra-reliable low latency 

Nokia and KDDI Corporation, a leading telecoms company in Japan, have completed a 5G core standalone (SA) network trial, moving the operator closer to being able to provide 5G-enabled services.

The standalone trial, using Nokia’s 5G AirGile cloud-native core solution, was conducted entirely independently of previous generations’ mobile network architecture.

With a comprehensive 5G core portfolio, Nokia is well placed to assist KDDI in analyzing the network evolution steps and early deployment of 5G core Stand Alone services, like network slicing in which service providers virtually partition network capacity to subscribers based on customized use case needs.

Nokia’s 5G AirGile cloud-native core can be rolled out in a traditional network environment or a cloud environment and is fully compliant with 3GPP Release 15 5G core functions. 

Evolution of the core is key to the success of 5G, and decoupling data plane and control plane functions allows for more efficient, automated management of increasingly complex networks. 

In this trial NOKIA applied a service-based architecture to the 5G control plane, moving control functions completely into a cloud-based environment which provides operators with improved scalability, velocity and flexibility. The trial allows KDDI to highlight how a 5G control plane can utilize the communication model of today’s web services to create multiple software instances in a cloud environment.

As KDDI plans to evolve from a non-standalone (NSA) 5G core network to a full 5G SA core, the trial ensures both parties understand the key requirements, roadmap and performance of a 5G core SA deployment. With a 5G core SA network, consumers can experience the true benefits of 5G by fully leveraging enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), enhanced Machine Type Communication (eMTC) and Ultra Reliable Low Latency Connectivity (URLLC). 

John Harrington, Head of Nokia Japan, said: “For Nokia, 5G is much more than radio. It’s an end-to-end network transformation. We are pleased to have successfully completed this 5G core SA network trial together with KDDI, as it marks a crucial milestone for KDDI’s 5G SA deployment as well as for Japan’s 5G. Nokia will continue to contribute to  the best of 5G and the cloud to enhance business processes and bring new applications and benefits to more markets and consumers.”

Source: Nokia media announcement