5G is the natural evolution of today’s mobile networks, but it is far more than a faster radio access technology. Like the previous generations of mobile network standards (2G, 3G, 4G …), 5G is driven by the promise of faster and more efficient radio access technology that promises ubiquitous broadband (50Mbps everywhere), lower latency, seamless communication for mobility at higher speeds, and extreme scale. But the 5G architecture is also introducing a re-architecture of the core, incorporating new technologies and approaches that have emerged in the telco networking industry – software-defined networking (SDN), network functions virtualization (NFV), and mobile edge computing (MEC) to name a few.
There are several industry-wide open development efforts relevant to many of the component technologies and architectures mentioned above. But given the focus on performance, scale, reliability and manageability for 5G networks, can open development and open networking be relevant here? The challenge is to design a common network infrastructure that can serve disparate use cases. The diversity of requirements necessitates a network architecture that is flexible, programmable, intelligent and distributed. This panel will discuss the question of how we can harness the power of openness to achieve this goal. The panel will cover the point of view both of owners and operators of 5G networks, as well as solution, software and system providers.
Sample questions (exemplary only):
· What constitutes a 5 G network for you – do you consider it as a better radio access, or something more?
· Are you in the process of transforming your network? How is that related to 5G?
· Do you see a relationship between the network transformation being undertaken by CSPs and 5G networks, and what is it?
· What business problems are you attempting to solve by transitioning to 5G networks?
· Do you see 5G enabling new devices or new customer sets for you?
· A lot of emphasis has been placed on standards and standardization for 5G networks. Is there a role for open development and open source here?
· How do you balance the stringent requirements that 5G networks are expected to address, and the nature of open development?
