Ericsson and Vodafone have completed a live network trial at Coventry University which successfully demonstrated the positive impact an optimised 5G standalone (SA) network slice could have on enhancing the mobile gaming experience for consumers.

Using network slicing, a major function of a 5G SA network that will allow Vodafone to customise connectivity services for specific customers and use cases, the trial participants were able to experience more consistent gaming connectivity with a 270 per cent increase in throughput, a 25 per cent decrease in latency and 57 per cent less jitter, as well as smoother graphics rendering.

Commenting on the development, Andrea Dona, chief network officer, Vodafone UK, said, “5G SA is not an upgrade on 4G, but an entirely new type of technology. Through this trial, we provided a slice of connectivity, customised specifically for gaming, to provide a full fibre-like experience over the airwaves. This is the value of network slicing – a more personalised connectivity service to make digital more in-tune with each customer.”

During the trial, participants were asked to play cloud-based mobile games under two connectivity scenarios.

Scenario A simulated the performance of an existing public mobile network.

Scenario B was an isolated 5G SA network slice that was optimised for cloud gaming. Scenario B’s network configuration had higher download speeds, lower latency, reduced jitter, and no risk of network congestion.

The research conducted by Bryter confirmed the success of the live 5G SA network slicing trial:

  • For scenario A, 63 per cent of triallists ranked satisfaction between zero and five out of 10, with only 13 per cent ranking satisfaction above eight out of ten. Frustrations included longer loading screen times, sound and visual issues, and increased latency.
  • For scenario B, 88 per cent of triallists ranked satisfaction above eight out of ten. The better gaming experience was due to improved game loading, smoother graphics rendering, and reduced latency and jitter.

Focus groups following the trial suggested mobile gaming enthusiasts would be highly interested in the 5G SA gaming experience as the benefits of faster loading and reduced latency and jitter would give them an advantage over other players.

Meanwhile, Phil Patel, group director of product and services, Vodafone, said, “5G SA aims to deliver novel services that would not be possible on today’s networks. Few areas can benefit as much as cloud gaming, not only to improve customer experience, but to open the door to entirely new types of content. Today, immersive gaming is realistically limited to consoles, but with 5G SA, we can bring it to mobile devices.”

Further, Blessing Makumbe, vice president (VP) and head of digital services, Ericsson UK and Ireland, said, “A mobile network powered by 5G standalone technology and offering associated services like network slicing are the ultimate next step in meeting connectivity demands from consumers and businesses. Creating tailored network quality with requirements on speed, latency and reliability not only offers the premium performance needed to satisfy the applications and services of the future, but also gives leading operators like Vodafone the opportunity to offer innovative services to enter new markets and expand their business.”

The trial demonstrates the importance of 5G SA and network slicing to deliver new 5G use cases and experiences for consumers and businesses, with higher scalability and enhanced quality-of-services (QoS) management enabling new business models across all verticals and creating new revenue opportunities for communication service providers (CSPs). Ericsson’s network slicing report estimates that 25-30 per cent of potential 5G use cases will require network slicing as an enabler.