According to a survey by Enea, mobile operators are split on their 5G deployment strategies to manage subscriber data but agree on key factors such as total cost of ownership (TCO), data ownership and edge services.
As per the survey, 42 per cent of operators are looking to deploy multi-vendor 5G cores, yet, in response to a different question, 1 in 3 (33 per cent) want to stay with their incumbent vendor to manage subscriber data. Some operators are turning to new frameworks for managing their 4G and 5G cores, however, others decide strategies on a use case basis. Most operators interviewed recognised the benefits of open, multivendor architecture but revealed that their concerns were no single point of contact and support (36 per cent), interoperability (30 per cent) and a lack of operational tools (19 per cent).
Further, the study found that cost worries loomed large for many operators taking part in the survey. TCO is the key consideration when it came to selecting 5G subscriber data management (SDM) technology, especially for operators sticking with an incumbent vendor. 39 per cent of these mobile operators had experienced rising costs along with vendor lock-ins and inflexibility because of the existing vendor. Yet, while 5G gives operators the freedom to use multiple vendors, 83 per cent were concerned about interoperability in multi-vendor architecture.
The findings reveal that interoperability is a key attribute of 5G multivendor architectures, but operators are currently divided on this. When it comes to interoperability, both those opting for multivendor and those staying with incumbent vendors place a higher priority on open standard interfaces than full 3GPP compliance.
The mixed picture with 5G strategies was also reflected in cloud migration timelines which showed another split result. 66 per cent of operators that are migrating to multivendor environments have also begun to move to the cloud. By comparison, 41 per cent of those using their incumbent vendor have one foot in the cloud, revealing that nearly half of operators with incumbent vendors are not utilising the benefits of cloud technology.
According to the study, despite the stark contrasts in deployment and cloud strategies, there is a clearer picture about utilising the edge. More than 90 per cent of operators are leveraging their edge capabilities. 31 per cent are already piloting use cases and 29 per cent are using the edge to reduce latency on 5G control functions, while others are using it to develop mesh architecture and scale up with hybrid clouds.
Commenting on the study, Stephanie Huf, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Enea, said, “This survey has uncovered that there is cautious pragmatism amongst many operators. For example, many want their technology to interwork to standards, but they see full standards compatibility of lesser importance. Operators are being practical and while many appreciate how multi-vendor architecture can transform networks – they want to ensure that they have the right skillsets in place and have complete control over their networks, subscriber data and total cost of ownership before they take the plunge.”
