RAN, AI, AI-RAN and Open RAN

The Japanese MNO Softbank is taking an active role in trying to bring AI to RAN. In a research story published recently, they explain that AI-RAN integrates AI into mobile networks to enhance performance and enable low-latency, high-security services via distributed AI data centres. This innovative infrastructure supports applications like real-time urban safety monitoring and optimized network throughput. Through the AI-RAN Alliance, SoftBank collaborates with industry leaders to advance technology and create an ecosystem for AI-driven societal and industrial solutions.

This video provides a nice short explanation of what AI-RAN means:

SoftBank's recent developments in AI-RAN technology further its mission to integrate AI with mobile networks, highlighted by the introduction of "AITRAS." This converged solution leverages NVIDIA's Grace Hopper platform and advanced orchestrators to unify vRAN and AI applications, enabling efficient and scalable networks. By collaborating with partners like Red Hat and Fujitsu, SoftBank aims to commercialize AI-RAN globally, addressing the demands of next-generation connectivity. Together, these initiatives align with SoftBank's vision of transforming telecommunications infrastructure to power AI-driven societies. Details are available on SoftBank's page here.

Last month, theNetworkingChannel hosted a webinar looking at 'AI-RAN and Open RAN: Exploring Convergence of AI-Native Approaches in Future Telecommunication Technologies'. The slides have not been shared and the details of the speakers are available here. The webinar is embedded below:

NVIDIA has a lot more technical details available on their blog post here.

Related Posts: 

• Free 6G Training: Panel Discussion on 'Evolving AI Architectures in Support of End-to-end Heterogeneous Next Generation Networks'
• Free 6G Training: Softbank's 12 Challenges for Beyond 5G / 6G
• Private Networks Technology Blog: SoftBank's Private 5G Service that’s Custom-built for Enterprises
• Connectivity Technology Blog: Softbank's Cylindrical Antenna for HAPS to Reduce Handovers
• Connectivity Technology Blog: SoftBank to Promote Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) Solutions
• Free 6G Training: AI Machine Learning RAN Intelligent Controller for 6G Open RAN
• Free 6G Training: O-RAN Alliance's nGRG Address the Use Cases, AI/ML and Security Aspects of 6G Mobile Networks
• The 3G4G Blog: What Is the Role of AI and ML in the Open RAN and 5G Future? 

4G/LTE, 5G and Private Networks in Africa

The Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) recently released its "Regional Spotlight Africa – October 2024" report. It tracks 604 public mobile networks across North and Sub-Saharan Africa, including LTE, LTE-Advanced, 5G, and fixed wireless access networks. The report gives an up-to-date view of 4G and 5G deployment in Africa, using the latest data and insights from GSA's various reports on mobile networks and satellite services.

Africa has seen major progress in telecommunications in recent years. The expansion of 4G LTE networks has improved data speeds, enhanced connectivity, and supported the spread of mobile broadband services. Looking ahead, 5G technology promises even faster speeds, lower latency, and stronger security, opening the door to new possibilities in connectivity.

The report covers key areas of mobile network development, such as:

• The current state of LTE and 5G rollouts
• LTE-Advanced advancements
• 5G standalone networks
• The growth of private networks
• Phasing out 2G and 3G technologies
• Progress in satellite services

Alongside the report, GSA hosted a regional webinar where the research team shared insights on:

• The status of LTE and LTE-Advanced in Africa and how it compares globally
• Whether 5G development is being delayed by ongoing LTE rollouts and older devices
• Recent spectrum auctions and assignments
• The transition from 2G and 3G networks
• The potential for satellite non-terrestrial (NTN) services in Africa and how operators are responding

The webinar video is available below.

Related Posts: 

• Private Networks Technology Blog: Private Networks Growth in APAC
• The 3G4G Blog: GSA's Updates on Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) Numbers
• Operator Watch Blog: The Status of Mobile Networks in Latin America
• Connectivity Technology Blog: LTE vs 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) 

TechKnowledge Technology Stories (Series 1)

TechKnowledge is a series of Technology Stories looking at how technology has evolved over the years and how it will continue to evolve in the future. The series is targeted at youth looking to understand how technology has been evolving and how it will evolve further. It is our intention to make a ten part series but as of yet only four parts are complete. 

Part 1: 'Smaller, Faster, Cheaper and More…' looks at how technology has evolved by things getting smaller, faster, cheaper and much more. It investigates Moore’s law and how it has helped create a future technology roadmap.

Part 2: 'Connecting Everything Everywhere…' discusses different connectivity options available to connect various devices, gadgets and appliances to the internet. It highlights the fact that this is just the beginning, and everything that can be connected will eventually get connected.

Part 3: 'Satellites - Our Friends In The Sky…' discusses the fact that they are our friends and helpers in the sky. In discusses how satellites are useful as a connectivity option, how it helps us map and navigate, how we can use location based services, how we can watch broadcast video or listen to broadcast radio, and last but not least, how satellites are helping us observe and monitor the earth. 

Part 4: 'Devices and Gadgets - Our Companions and Life Savers…' looks at the fact that we use a variety of electronic devices/gadgets in our everyday lives to make it more convenient, efficient, and even keep us connected. From smartphones and laptops to smart home appliances and wearable tech, these devices simplify tasks, enhance productivity, and provide instant access to information and communication. They help us manage work, stay in touch with loved ones, and access entertainment on the go. Gadgets like fitness trackers promote healthier lifestyles, while others automate household chores, saving time and energy. Overall, the connected devices & gadgets have become essential tools in modern life, blending seamlessly into our routines and transforming how we live and interact.

The playlist of the videos is embedded below:

The slides can be downloaded from here.

Related Posts: 

• 3G4G: Free 2G, 3G, 4G & 5G Training Videos
• The 3G4G Blog: Explaining Telecoms
• The 3G4G Blog: Short Tutorial on Mission Critical Services in LTE and 5G
• The 3G4G Blog: Private Networks Introductory Series
• The 3G4G Blog: A Quick Introduction to 3GPP
• The 3G4G Blog: 5G and Cyber Security
• The 3G4G Blog: Tech Quotes we should know about - #TechQuotes
• The 3G4G Blog: Tech Laws we should all know about - #TechLaws 

Detection of Real-world Fake Base Station (FBS) Attacks in Thailand

It's been a while since we created our security tutorial, back in 2018. One of the items we discussed in there were the fake cell towers or the fake base stations. The issues highlighted there still exist as highlighted by AIS CISO, Pepijn Kok at The Telecom Threat Intelligence Summit (TTIS) 2024.

The cyber threat actors exploited GSM authentication vulnerabilities to use fake base stations as part of SMS phishing attacks to steal from real bank accounts. In his talk Pepijn explains how AIS worked with ecosystem partners in Thailand to detect and block these attacks.

The talk described two case studies. The first one was a report from Dec 2022 where certain bank customers and online retail platform users were receiving SMS messages masquerading as the bank or online platform itself (something not typically possible). The messages contained links to malicious content. The second one is a recent case from April 2024 where AIS customers started receiving fake SMS with malicious links. It was obvious in that case that the SMS did not come from the AIS network which triggered AIS to start investigating as they were sure there was a fake base station in operation. The talk describes how in both the scenarios the gangs were caught.

The talk is embedded below:

You can learn more about TTIS here. The video of all the talks from day 1 is here and day 2 is here.

Related Posts: 

• The 3G4G Blog: Attack Surfaces for Different Generations of Mobile Technologies
• The 3G4G Blog: Presentations from ETSI Security Conference 2023
• The 3G4G Blog: Top 10 New (2022) Security Standards That You Need to Know About!
• The 3G4G Blog: Authentication and Key Management for Applications (AKMA) based on 3GPP credentials in the 5G System (5GS)
• The 3G4G Blog: 5G and Cyber Security
• The 3G4G Blog: Realizing Zero Trust Architecture for 5G Networks
• The 3G4G Blog: Bug hunting in 5G Networks and Devices
• The 3G4G Blog: AT&T Cybersecurity Experts Provide 5G Security Overview
• The 3G4G Blog: Everything you need to know about 5G Security
• 3G4G: Overview of Security in Mobile Cellular Networks 

GSA's Updates on Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) Numbers

In the GSA 4G/5G FWA Forum Plenary back in June, GSA identified announced service offers using LTE or 5G from 554 operators in 187 countries and territories, and launched services from 477 operators in 175 markets worldwide, as of late 2023. However, digging into these global numbers and the regional picture of operators delivering FWA services using LTE or 5G varies widely.

The GSA 4G-5G FWA Forum Plenary brought together operators from the MEA and APAC regions to identify and share their best practice fixed wireless access use cases. The webinar is embedded below:

The FWA Market June 2024 report is available here to download.

Related Posts: 

• Connectivity Technology Blog: How is Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) deployed?
• Connectivity Technology Blog: GSMA Intelligence Holds 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) MasterClass
• Connectivity Technology Blog: LTE vs 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA)
• Connectivity Technology Blog: GSMA Releases 5G Fixed Wireless (FWA) Playbook
• Telecoms Infrastructure Blog: High-Speed FWA Using mmWave With the Help of Li-Fi
• The 3G4G Blog: Introduction to Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) 

Explaining Telecoms

Over the years we have made a lot of tutorials explaining mobile wireless technology (list here). Here is another one that came up as part of a discussion where many experienced telecom engineers seemed to be struggling explaining what telecoms mean. Slides and video embedded below:

Slides:

Beginners: What Does ‘Telecommunications’ or ‘Telecoms’ Mean? from 3G4G

Video:

You can download the pdf from here.

Related Posts: 

• 3G4G: Free 2G, 3G, 4G & 5G Training Videos
• The 3G4G Blog: Short Tutorial on Mission Critical Services in LTE and 5G
• The 3G4G Blog: Private Networks Introductory Series
• The 3G4G Blog: A Quick Introduction to 3GPP
• The 3G4G Blog: 5G and Cyber Security 

3GPP Release 18 Description and Summary of Work Items

The first official release of 3GPP TR 21.918: "Release 18 Description; Summary of Rel-18 Work Items" has been published. It's the first official version of 5G-Advanced. Quoting from the report: 

Release 18 specifies further improvements of the 5G-Avanced system. 

These improvements consist both in enhancements of concepts/Features introduced in the previous Releases and in the introduction of new topics.

Some of the key improvements are:

• a further integration of the Satellite (NTN) access (introduced in Rel-17) in the 5G System (5GS), 
• a more efficient support of Internet of Things (IoT), Machine-Type Communication (MTC), including by satellite coverage
• and also several aspects of proximity communication and location (Sidelink, Proximity, Location and Positioning, better support of the industrial needs (Verticals, Industries, Factories, Northbound API), Multicast and Broadcast Services (MBS), Network Slicing or Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAV).

As for the new topics, some of the key aspects are:

• Energy Efficiency (EE)
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML)
• eXtended, Augmented and Virtual Reality (XR, AR, VR), immersive communications

The following list is from the v1.0.0 table of contents to make it easier to find the list of topics. If it interests you, download the latest version technical report from the directory here.

5 Satellite / Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN)

5.1 General aspects

5.1.1 User plane: “5G system with satellite backhaul”

5.1.2 Discontinuous coverage: “Satellite access Phase 2”

5.1.3 Radio: "NR NTN enhancements"

5.1.4 Charging and Management aspects of Satelite

5.2 Specific aspects

5.2.1 IoT (Internet of Things) NTN enhancements

5.2.2 Guidelines for Extra-territorial 5G Systems

5.2.3 5G system with satellite access to Support Control and/or Video Surveillance

5.2.4 Introduction of the satellite L-/S-band for NR

5.2.5 Other band-related aspects of satellite

6 Internet of Things (IoT), Machine-Type Communication (MTC)

6.1 Personal IoT and Residential networks

6.2 Enhanced support of Reduced Capability (RedCap) NR devices

6.3 NR RedCap UE with long eDRX for RRC_INACTIVE State

6.4 Application layer support for Personal IoT Network

6.5 5G Timing Resiliency System

6.6 Mobile Terminated-Small Data Transmission (MT-SDT) for NR

6.7 Adding new NR FDD bands for RedCap in Rel-18

6.8 Signal level Enhanced Network Selection

6.9 IoT NTN enhancements

7 Energy Efficiency (EE)

7.1 Enhancements of EE for 5G Phase 2

7.2 Network energy savings for NR

7.3 Smart Energy and Infrastructure

8 Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAV), UAS, UAM

8.1 Architecture for UAV and UAM Phase 2

8.2 Architecture for UAS Applications, Phase 2

8.3 NR support for UAV

8.4 Enhanced LTE Support for UAV

9 Sidelink, Proximity, Location and Positioning

9.1 5GC LoCation Services - Phase 3

9.2 Expanded and improved NR positioning

9.3 NR sidelink evolution

9.4 NR sidelink relay enhancements

9.5 Proximity-based Services in 5GS Phase 2

9.6 Ranging-based Service and sidelink positioning

9.7 Mobile Terminated-Small Data Transmission (MT-SDT) for NR

9.8 5G-enabled fused location service capability exposure

10 Verticals, Industries, Factories, Northbound API

10.1 Low Power High Accuracy Positioning for industrial IoT scenarios

10.2 Application enablement aspects for subscriber-aware northbound API access

10.3 Smart Energy and Infrastructure

10.4 Generic group management, exposure and communication enhancements

10.5 Service Enabler Architecture Layer for Verticals Phase 3

10.6 SEAL data delivery enabler for vertical applications

10.7 Rel-18 Enhancements of 3GPP Northbound and Application Layer interfaces and APIs

10.8 Charging Aspects of B2B

10.9 NRF API enhancements to avoid signalling and storing of redundant data

10.10 GBA_U Based APIs

10.11 Other aspects

11 Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML)

11.1 AI/ML model transfer in 5GS

11.2 AI/ML for NG-RAN

11.3 AI/ML management & charging

11.4 NEF Charging enhancement to support AI/ML in 5GS

12 Multicast and Broadcast Services (MBS)

12.1 5G MBS Phase 2

12.2 Enhancements of NR MBS

12.3 UE pre-configuration for 5MBS

12.4 Other MBS aspects

13 Network Slicing

13.1 Network Slicing Phase 3

13.2 Enhancement of NSAC for maximum number of UEs with at least one PDU session/PDN connection

13.3 Enhancement of Network Slicing UICC application for network slice-specific authentication and authorization

13.4 Charging Aspects of Network Slicing Phase 2

13.5 Charging Aspects for NSSAA

13.6 Charging enhancement for Network Slice based wholesale in roaming

13.7 Network Slice Capability Exposure for Application Layer Enablement

13.8 Other slice aspects

14 eXtended, Augmented and Virtual Reality (XR, AR, VR), immersive

14.1 XR (eXtended Reality) enhancements for NR

14.2 Media Capabilities for Augmented Reality

14.3 Real-time Transport Protocol Configurations

14.4 Immersive Audio for Split Rendering Scenarios  (ISAR)

14.5 Immersive Real-time Communication for WebRTC

14.6 IMS-based AR Conversational Services

14.7 Split Rendering Media Service Enabler

14.8 Extended Reality and Media service (XRM)

14.9 Other XR/AR/VR items

15 Mission Critical and emergencies

15.1 Enhanced Mission Critical Push-to-talk architecture phase 4

15.2 Gateway UE function for Mission Critical Communication

15.3 Mission Critical Services over 5MBS

15.4 Mission Critical Services over 5GProSe

15.5 Mission Critical ad hoc group Communications

15.6 Other Mission Critical aspects

16 Transportations (Railways, V2X, aerial)

16.1 MBS support for V2X services

16.2 Air-to-ground network for NR

16.4 Interconnection and Migration Aspects for Railways

16.5 Application layer support for V2X services; Phase 3

16.6 Enhanced NR support for high speed train scenario in frequency range 2 (FR2)

17 User Plane traffic and services

17.1 Enhanced Multiparty RTT

17.2 5G-Advanced media profiles for messaging services

17.3 Charging Aspects of IMS Data Channel

17.4 Evolution of IMS Multimedia Telephony Service

17.5 Access Traffic Steering, Switch and Splitting support in the 5G system architecture; Phase 3

17.6 UPF enhancement for Exposure and SBA

17.7 Tactile and multi-modality communication services

17.8 UE Testing Phase 2

17.9 5G Media Streaming Protocols Phase 2

17.10 EVS Codec Extension for Immersive Voice and Audio Services

17.11 Other User Plane traffic and services items

18 Edge computing

18.1 Edge Computing Phase 2

18.2 Architecture for enabling Edge Applications Phase 2

18.3 Edge Application Standards in 3GPP and alignment with External Organizations

19 Non-Public Networks

19.1 Non-Public Networks Phase 2

19.2 5G Networks Providing Access to Localized Services

19.3 Non-Public Networks Phase 2

20 AM and UE Policy

20.1 5G AM Policy

20.2 Enhancement of 5G UE Policy

20.3 Dynamically Changing AM Policies in the 5GC Phase 2

20.4 Spending Limits for AM and UE Policies in the 5GC

20.5 Rel-18 Enhancements of UE Policy

21 Service-based items

21.1 Enhancements on Service-based support for SMS in 5GC

21.2 Service based management architecture

21.3 Automated certificate management in SBA

21.4 Security Aspects of the 5G Service Based Architecture Phase 2

21.5 Service Based Interface Protocol Improvements Release 18

22 Security-centric aspects

22.1 IETF DTLS protocol profile for AKMA and GBA

22.2 IETF OSCORE protocol profiles for GBA and AKMA

22.3 Home network triggered primary authentication

22.4 AKMA phase 2

22.5 5G Security Assurance Specification (SCAS) for the Policy Control Function (PCF)

22.6 Security aspects on User Consent for 3GPP services Phase 2

22.7 SCAS for split-gNB product classes

22.8 Security Assurance Specification for AKMA Anchor Function Function (AAnF)

22.9 Other security-centric items

23 NR-only items

23.1 Not band-centric

23.1.1 NR network-controlled repeaters

23.1.2 Enhancement of MIMO OTA requirement for NR UEs

23.1.3 NR MIMO evolution for downlink and uplink

23.1.4 Further NR mobility enhancements

23.1.5 In-Device Co-existence (IDC) enhancements for NR and MR-DC

23.1.6 Even Further RRM enhancement for NR and MR-DC

23.1.7 Dual Transmission Reception (TxRx) Multi-SIM for NR

23.1.8 NR support for dedicated spectrum less than 5MHz for FR1

23.1.9 Enhancement of NR Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS)

23.1.10 Multi-carrier enhancements for NR

23.1.11 NR RF requirements enhancement for frequency range 2 (FR2), Phase 3

23.1.12 Requirement for NR frequency range 2 (FR2) multi-Rx chain DL reception

23.1.13 Support of intra-band non-collocated EN-DC/NR-CA deployment

23.1.14 Further enhancements on NR and MR-DC measurement gaps and measurements without gaps

23.1.15 Further RF requirements enhancement for NR and EN-DC in frequency range 1 (FR1)

23.1.16 Other non-band related items

23.2 Band-centric

23.2.1 Enhancements of NR shared spectrum bands

23.2.2 Addition of FDD NR bands using the uplink from n28 and the downlink of n75 and n76

23.2.3 Complete the specification support for BandWidth Part operation without restriction in NR

23.2.4 Other NR band related topics

24 LTE-only items

24.1 High Power UE (Power Class 2) for LTE FDD Band 14

24.2 Other LTE-only items

25 NR and LTE items

25.1 4Rx handheld UE for low NR bands (<1GHz) and/or 3Tx for NR inter-band UL Carrier Aggregation (CA) and EN-DC

25.2 Enhancement of UE TRP and TRS requirements and test methodologies for FR1 (NR SA and EN-DC)

25.3 Other items

26 Network automation

26.1 Enablers for Network Automation for 5G phase 3

26.2 Enhancement of Network Automation Enablers

27 Other aspects

27.1 Support for Wireless and Wireline Convergence Phase 2

27.2 Secondary DN Authentication and authorization in EPC IWK cases

27.3 Mobile IAB (Integrated Access and Backhaul) for NR

27.4 Further NR coverage enhancements

27.5 NR demodulation performance evolution

27.6 NR channel raster enhancement

27.7 BS/UE EMC enhancements for NR and LTE

27.8 Enhancement on NR QoE management and optimizations for diverse services

27.9 Additional NRM features phase 2

27.10 Further enhancement of data collection for SON (Self-Organising Networks)/MDT (Minimization of Drive Tests) in NR and EN-DC

27.11 Self-Configuration of RAN Network Entities

27.12 Enhancement of Shared Data ID and Handling

27.13 Message Service within the 5G system Phase 2

27.14 Security Assurance Specification (SCAS) Phase 2

27.15 Vehicle-Mounted Relays

27.16 SECAM and SCAS for 3GPP virtualized network products

27.17 SECAM and SCAS for 3GPP virtualized network products

27.18 MPS for Supplementary Services

27.19 Rel-18 enhancements of session management policy control

27.20 Seamless UE context recovery

27.21 Extensions to the TSC Framework to support DetNet

27.22 Multiple location report for MT-LR Immediate Location Request for regulatory services

27.23 Enhancement of Application Detection Event Exposure

27.24 General Support of IPv6 Prefix Delegation in 5GS

27.25 5G Timing Resiliency System

27.26 MPS when access to EPC/5GC is WLAN

27.27 Data Integrity in 5GS

27.28 Security Enhancement on RRCResumeRequest Message Protection

28 Administration, Operation, Maintenance and Charging-centric Features

28.1 Introduction

28.2 Intent driven Management Service for Mobile Network phase 2

28.3 Management of cloud-native Virtualized Network Functions

28.4 Management of Trace/MDT phase 2

28.5 Security Assurance Specification for Management Function (MnF)

28.6 5G performance measurements and KPIs phase 3

28.7 Access control for management service

28.8 Management Aspects related to NWDAF

28.9 Management Aspect of 5GLAN

28.10 Charging Aspects of TSN

28.11 CHF Distributed Availability

28.12 Management Data Analytics phase 2

28.12 5G System Enabler for Service Function Chaining

28.13 Other Management-centric items

29 Other Rel-18 Topics

If you find them useful then please get the latest document from here.

Related Posts: 

• The 3G4G Blog - Tutorial: A Quick Introduction to 3GPP
• Free 6G Training: Summary of 3GPP Stage-1 Workshop on IMT2030 Use Cases
• Free 6G Training: ATIS Webinar on 'Introduction to 3GPP Release 19 and 6G Planning'
• The 3G4G Blog: 3GPP TSG RAN and TSG SA Release-19 Workshop Summary
• The 3G4G Blog: 3GPP Release 17 Description and Summary of Work Items
• The 3G4G Blog: 3GPP Release 16 Description and Summary of Work Items
• The 3G4G Blog: ATIS Webinar on "3GPP Release 18 Overview: A World of 5G-Advanced"
• The 3G4G Blog: ATIS Webinar on '5G Standards Development Update in 3GPP Release 17 and 18'
• The 3G4G Blog: 3GPP Release-18 Work Moves Into Focus as Release-17 Reaches Maturity
• The 3G4G Blog: An Early View of 3GPP Release-18 5G-Advanced Topics 

Disaggregation of 5G Core (5GC) Network

When talking about mobile networks, we generally talk about disaggregation and virtualization of the RAN rather than the core. The 5G Core Network was also designed with disaggregation in mind, supporting service-based architecture (SBA) where Network Functions (NFs) are modular and can be deployed as microservices.

The 5G Core (5GC) is the foundation for Standalone 5G (5G SA) networks where the end users can experience the power of 'real' 5G. A newly published forecast report by Dell’Oro Group pointed out that the Mobile Core Network (MCN) market 5-year cumulative revenue forecast is expected to decline 10 percent (2024-2028). The reduction in the forecast is caused by severe economic headwinds, primarily the high inflation rates, and the slow adoption of 5G SA networks by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs).

While most people think of 5G Core Network as a single entity, in reality it contains many different network functions that can be supplied by different vendors. One way to select the vendors is based on grouping of NFs based on functionality as shown in the picture above. Here we have categorised them into User Plane & Mobility, Subscriber Data Management, Routing & Selection, and Policy & Charging. 

An example of of this disaggregation can be seen in the image above where Telenor worked with partners to build a truly multi-vendor, 5G core environment running on a vendor-neutral platform. According to their announcement: 

“The main component of 5G-SA is the 5G mobile core, the ‘brain’ of the 5G system. Unfortunately, most 5G core deployments are still single vendor dependent, with strong dependencies on that vendor’s underlying proprietary architecture. This single-vendor dependency can be a killer for innovation. It restricts open collaboration from the broader 5G ecosystem of companies developing new technology, use cases, and services that the market expects,” explains Patrick Waldemar, Vice President and Head of Technology in Telenor Research.

As an industry first, Telenor, along with partners, have established to build a truly multi-vendor, 5G core environment running on a vendor-neutral platform. The multi-vendor environment consists of best of breed Network Functions from Oracle, Casa-Systems, Enea and Kaloom, all running on Red Hat Openshift, the industry’s leading enterprise Kubernetes platform.

“To protect the 5G infrastructure from cyber threats, we deployed Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud Compute, and their Next Generation Firewall is also securing Internet connectivity for mobile devices. Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform is being used as a scalable automation system, while Emblasoft is providing automated network testing capabilities. The 5G New Radio (NR) is from Huawei,” says Waldemar.

In their whitepaper on "How to build the best 5G core", Oracle does a very similar grouping of the NFs like the way I have shown at the top and highlights what they supply and which partner NFs they use.

When the mobile operator Orange announced the selection of suppliers for their 5G SA networks in Europe, the press release said the following:

Orange has chosen the following industrial partners:

• Ericsson’s 5G SA core network for Belgium, Spain, Luxembourg and Poland
• Nokia’s 5G SA core network for France and Slovakia 
• Nokia’s Subscriber Data Management for all countries
• Oracle Communications for 5G core signaling and routing in all countries

I was unable to find out exactly which NFs would be supplied by which vendor but you get an idea.

Finally, I have depicted four scenarios for deployment and which Cloud Native Environment (CNE) would be used. In a single vendor core, the CNE, even though from a third party, could belong to either the vendor themselves (scenario 1) or may be suggested by the operator (scenario 2). 

In case of a multi-vendor deployment, it is very likely that each vendor would use their own CNE (scenario 4) rather than one suggested by the operator or belonging to the lead vendor (scenario 3).

If you have been involved in trial/test/deployment of a multi-vendor 5G Core, would love to hear your feedback on that as well as this post.

Related Posts: 

• 3G4G: 3GPP 5G Specifications
• 3G4G: Control and User Plane Separation of EPC nodes (CUPS)
• 3G4G: 5G Service Based Architecture (SBA)
• The 3G4G Blog - Opinion: What is "Real 5G" or "True 5G"
• The 3G4G Blog: The Politics of Standalone vs Non-Standalone 5G & 4G Speeds 

Short Tutorial on Mission Critical Services in LTE and 5G

Over the years we have looked at the standards development, infrastructure development and even country specific mission critical solutions development in various blog posts. In this post we are sharing this short new tutorial by Mpirical on mission critical services in LTE and 5G. The video is embedded below:

Related Posts: 

• The 3G4G Blog: Maritime Communication (MARCOM) Services over 3GPP system
• The 3G4G Blog: Update from 3GPP on LTE & 5G Mission Critical Communications
• The 3G4G Blog: Mission Critical Services update from 3GPP - June 2017
• The 3G4G Blog: QCI Enhancements For Mission Critical Communications
• The 3G4G Blog: Virve 2.0 - Finland's 4G/5G Public Safety Network
• Connectivity Technology Blog: Virve 2.0 is becoming a broad-band service
• Telecoms Infrastructure Blog: T-Mobile USA's Disaster Response Satellite Vehicles, Drones and COWs
• Telecoms Infrastructure Blog: THOR - Verizon's Disaster Response COW
• The 3G4G Blog: A practical use of MOCN in ESN
• Telecoms Infrastructure Blog: Meshing for BYOC (Bring Your Own Coverage)
• The 3G4G Blog: 3GPP Release 17 Description and Summary of Work Items 

Attack Surfaces for Different Generations of Mobile Technologies

At DEF CON 31 last year, Tracy Mosley, Vulnerability Researcher at Trenchant presented a talk titled "Nothin’ but a G Thang - The Evolution of Cellular Networks" (background of title). The abstract of the talk says:

In this talk we will walk through each step of cellular evolution, starting at 2G and ending at 5G. The never-ending attack and defend paradigm will be clearly laid out. In order to understand the attack surface, I’ll cover network topology and protocol. For each cellular generation, I will explain known vulnerabilities and some interesting attacks. In response to those vulnerabilities, mitigations for the subsequent cellular generation are put in place. But as we all know, new mitigations mean new opportunities for attackers to get creative. While I will explain most cellular-specific terminology, a familiarity with security concepts will help to better understand this talk. Basic foundations of communications systems, information theory or RF definitely make this talk more enjoyable, but are absolutely not necessary. It’s a dense topic that is highly applicable to those working on anything that touches the cellular network!

The talk is embedded below:

The presentation can be downloaded from here.

Related Posts: 

• The 3G4G Blog: Presentations from ETSI Security Conference 2023
• The 3G4G Blog: Top 10 New (2022) Security Standards That You Need to Know About!
• The 3G4G Blog: Authentication and Key Management for Applications (AKMA) based on 3GPP credentials in the 5G System (5GS)
• The 3G4G Blog: 5G and Cyber Security
• The 3G4G Blog: Lawful Intelligence and Interception in 5G World with Data and OTT Apps
• 3G4G: Security in 2G, 3G, 4G & 5G Mobile Networks