Ericsson has introduced a groundbreaking solution aimed at revolutionizing the transition of Communication Service Providers (CSPs) to cloud-native networks, known as the Compact Packet Core. This innovative solution is designed to simplify the migration process, enhance operational efficiency, and support the deployment of 4G, 5G Non-Standalone (NSA), and 5G Standalone (SA) networks. In this article, we explore the key features, benefits, and potential impact of Ericsson’s Compact Packet Core on CSPs, setting the stage for a major transformation in the telecommunications industry.
Simplifying the Transition to Cloud-Native Networks
Integrated Design and Functionality
Ericsson’s Compact Packet Core integrates the Packet Core Controller (PCC) and Packet Core Gateway (PCG) within a single compact rack version of Ericsson’s Cloud-Native Infrastructure Solution (CNIS). The design is streamlined and efficient, positioning it as a pivotal tool for simplifying deployment and operational procedures. By embedding pre-configured parameter settings and incorporating automated network upgrades within the solution, Ericsson reduces the complexity typically associated with transitioning to cloud-native frameworks. These enhancements ensure that CSPs can smoothly migrate their network infrastructures to meet modern demands, minimizing downtime and associated costs.
The seamless integration offered by the Compact Packet Core eliminates many of the barriers CSPs face during their migration to cloud-native frameworks. This solution not only simplifies the initial deployment but also fosters continuous adaptation to technological advancements through its inherent flexibility. The pre-configured parameters ease the deployment process, significantly cutting down the time and manpower required. When combined with automated network upgrades, CSPs can stay current with minimal manual intervention, thus maintaining high service quality and reliability across their operations. This effectively reduces the total cost of ownership and maximizes operational efficiencies, making it an attractive proposition for CSPs.
Enhancing Return on Investment
A vital aspect of Ericsson’s Compact Packet Core is its ability to enhance the return on investment for CSPs by reducing the energy and hardware footprints by up to 30%. This reduction in resource usage not only lowers operational costs but also contributes to the overall cost-effectiveness of the solution. By offering a streamlined and efficient migration path, Ericsson’s Compact Packet Core enables CSPs to modernize their networks without incurring significant expenses that usually accompany such transitions. This financial prudence extends beyond just upfront costs, impacting long-term operational budgets positively.
In addition to cost savings, the reduced energy consumption aligns with sustainability goals, a growing priority for many companies worldwide. By optimizing network architectures and operational efficiencies, Ericsson’s solution helps CSPs achieve greener operations, thereby contributing to corporate social responsibility initiatives. This environmentally conscious approach, coupled with financial benefits, underscores the value of the Compact Packet Core in modernizing network infrastructure while ensuring a positive environmental impact. This dual advantage further strengthens the appeal of Ericsson’s solution, demonstrating its comprehensive benefits beyond just immediate operational efficiencies.
Key Features and Benefits
Appliance-Like Simplicity
Monica Zethzon, Head of Solution Area Core Networks at Ericsson, highlights the appliance-like simplicity of the Compact Packet Core. The inherent cloud-native benefits, such as support for automation, In-Service Software Upgrades (ISSU), and Container-as-a-Service rolling upgrades (CaaS RU), provide substantial flexibility for CSPs. These features enable network adaptations to align with evolving use cases and workloads, maintaining an agile service delivery. This simplicity is critical as it allows CSPs to focus on delivering high-quality services to their customers, free from the encumbrances of complex and time-consuming network management tasks.
The streamlined nature of the Compact Packet Core ensures that CSPs can maintain robust network performance even through various technological transitions and updates. Considering that the telecommunications landscape is swiftly evolving, the ability to rapidly adapt to new demands and manage workloads effectively is paramount. Ericsson’s solution addresses these needs by embedding sophisticated automation capabilities and cloud-native features, which minimize manual intervention and potential human errors. This directly enhances the reliability and consistency of network services offered to end-users, bolstering customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Optimized Configuration
One of the standout design elements of the Compact Packet Core is its optimized and validated configuration. This feature significantly reduces the deployment, migration, and software upgrade complexities typically faced by CSPs. With up to 80% fewer parameters to adjust during deployment, the Compact Packet Core ensures a more straightforward and error-resilient process. This reduction in complexity not only accelerates the transition to cloud-native networks but also enhances the reliability and performance of the overall network infrastructure. In essence, Ericsson’s solution mitigates common deployment challenges, thereby reducing downtime and improving operational productivity.
The streamlined configuration process is complemented by robust validation efforts, ensuring that the Compact Packet Core is resilient and reliable under various scenarios. CSPs stand to benefit from minimized configuration errors and faster deployment timelines, lending them a competitive edge in rolling out new services and features. This efficiency, combined with the solution’s inherent adaptability to different network demands, positions the Compact Packet Core as an industry-leading option for CSPs seeking to modernize their infrastructures while maintaining service integrity and efficiency.
Lifecycle Management and Market Adoption
Automated Network Upgrades
A pivotal component of the Compact Packet Core is its solution lifecycle management service, which features automated network upgrades managed by Ericsson. This ensures that CSPs can seamlessly transition to new technologies and keep their networks updated with the latest software innovations and security enhancements. The automated upgrades offer a significant advantage, as they relieve CSPs from the cumbersome and resource-intensive task of manual updates, ensuring networks remain current, secure, and capable of supporting advanced telecommunications technologies.
Ericsson’s lifecycle management service reinforces the reliability and continuity of network operations, fostering sustained technological advancement. By overseeing and automating the upgrade process, Ericsson ensures consistent compliance with the latest industry standards and security protocols. This automated approach not only enhances the operational integrity of CSP networks but also frees up internal resources to focus on innovation and customer-centric initiatives. Such a managed service model mitigates the risks typically associated with manual upgrades, ensuring ongoing service excellence and technological relevance.
Significant Market Adoption
As of October 2024, Ericsson had secured over 120 unique 5G Core or cloud-native commercial contracts, with more than 55 live dual-mode 5G Core solution customers. This significant market adoption is a testament to the confidence the industry places in Ericsson’s capabilities and the growing momentum toward cloud-native models. The widespread adoption of Ericsson’s solutions underscores the critical role they play in facilitating the shift to next-generation network infrastructures. This broad industry endorsement highlights the transformative potential of the Compact Packet Core in modernizing CSP operations and catalyzing the transition to cloud-native environments.
The increasing traction of Ericsson’s solutions within the telecommunications sector is further evidenced by the robust adoption rates and extensive use cases across different markets. This adoption not only validates the efficacy and reliability of Ericsson’s products but also illustrates the industry-wide need for comprehensive, scalable, and efficient solutions like the Compact Packet Core. As CSPs continue to navigate the complexities of next-generation network deployment, Ericsson’s proven track record and expansive market presence fortify its position as a pioneering force within the industry.
Addressing Strategic and Operational Demands
Seamless Continuation of Services
The Compact Packet Core is meticulously designed to meet both the strategic and operational demands of CSPs, offering a seamless continuation of services and preserving business logic during installation, migration, upgrades, and expansions. Leveraging Ericsson’s proven packet core software ensures full interoperability across all deployment scenarios, including the newly introduced Compact Packet Core. This seamless integration is crucial for CSPs aiming to maintain uninterrupted service continuity while modernizing their network infrastructure. The reliability inherent within Ericsson’s solutions ensures that service disruptions are minimized, thus safeguarding customer satisfaction and operational integrity.
Furthermore, the Compact Packet Core’s ability to preserve business logic and service continuity during transitions is particularly beneficial for CSPs managing extensive and complex network infrastructures. The seamless integration with existing systems ensures that CSPs can undertake significant technological upgrades without compromising service quality or business operations. This approach supports a stable and efficient transition process, enabling CSPs to enhance their network capabilities progressively while maintaining a consistent service delivery to end-users, thereby bolstering consumer trust and loyalty.
Expert Insights and Industry Trends
Glen Hunt, Principal Analyst at GlobalData, comments on the common challenges faced by CSPs when upgrading their cloud deployment models. He highlights that Ericsson’s Compact Packet Core eliminates barriers through pre-integrated solutions, built-in configurations, and reduced footprint demands. This makes migrations less costly, complex, and time-consuming, allowing CSPs to focus on delivering innovative services to their customers. The industry insights provided by experts like Hunt underscore the practical benefits of Ericsson’s solution, particularly in navigating the multifaceted landscape of cloud-native transitions and 5G deployments.
Hunt’s analysis aligns with broader industry trends indicating a strong shift towards cloud-native technologies and the increasing adoption of 5G networks. CSPs are under pressure to modernize their infrastructures to stay competitive, and solutions like Ericsson’s Compact Packet Core offer a clear pathway to achieving these goals. By addressing the common pain points associated with such transitions, Ericsson positions itself as a crucial enabler of technological advancement within the telecommunications sector. The expert insights further validate the strategic importance of adopting integrated, scalable solutions that simplify complex deployment processes while enhancing operational efficiency.
The Future of 5G Standalone Networks
Ericsson’s Dominance in 5G SA Market
Ericsson’s dominance in the 5G SA market is particularly significant, as evidenced by research from the Ericsson Mobility Report. The report projects that by 2030, nearly 60% of 5G subscriptions, equating to approximately 3.6 billion, will be 5G SA. This projection underscores a critical shift towards more advanced connectivity solutions, with CSPs leveraging 5G SA to offer differentiated services. These services include reserving specific parts of the network to ensure quality experiences for particular users or applications, highlighting the transformative potential of 5G SA networks in delivering tailored connectivity solutions.
This anticipated growth in 5G SA adoption illustrates the increasing importance of robust and scalable network infrastructures that can support diverse and high-performance use cases. Ericsson’s Compact Packet Core is poised to play a pivotal role in this transition, offering CSPs a reliable and flexible platform to deliver next-generation services. As the market demand for 5G SA solutions intensifies, Ericsson’s leadership and innovative capabilities position it as a key driver of technological advancement within the telecommunications industry. The strategic advantages offered by 5G SA, backed by solutions like the Compact Packet Core, reflect the ongoing evolution towards highly efficient and specialized connectivity frameworks.
Supporting Advanced Connectivity Solutions
Ericsson has unveiled a pioneering solution called the Compact Packet Core, poised to dramatically streamline the shift of Communication Service Providers (CSPs) to cloud-native networks. As an innovative advancement, the Compact Packet Core is specifically engineered to simplify the migration process, boost operational efficiency, and facilitate the deployment of various network types, including 4G, 5G Non-Standalone (NSA), and 5G Standalone (SA) networks. The introduction of this solution marks a significant milestone for CSPs, enhancing their ability to remain competitive and adapt to evolving technological demands. In this article, we delve into the primary features, advantages, and potential implications of Ericsson’s Compact Packet Core for CSPs. This solution is expected to be a game-changer, setting the stage for substantial transformation within the telecommunications sector. By fostering a more efficient transition to advanced network infrastructures, Ericsson’s new offering holds the potential to reshape the industry dynamics, heralding a new era of connectivity and service delivery.
