Orange Belgium, in partnership with Ericsson, has successfully concluded a pioneering project in the realm of 5G slicing automation. The initiative, funded by Belgium’s Federal Public Service Economy (FOD/SPF Economie) under the ‘Telecom to the Next Level: Towards Sustainable and Innovative Solutions’ program, sets a new benchmark in 5G network orchestration and automation.
This groundbreaking project showcased the capabilities of Ericsson’s Service Orchestration and Assurance platform. For the first time, the platform was demonstrated on a live 5G network, enabling the automatic creation and management of end-to-end network slices across both core and radio domains in a multi-vendor environment. The system also integrates seamlessly with a multi-operator radio access network (MORAN) facilitated by MWingz, a joint venture supporting the shared radio infrastructure.
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One of the project’s highlights encompassed automating lifecycle management for network slices tailored specifically for enterprise needs. These virtualized slices, designed for secure, high-performance, and low-latency connectivity, were tested in real-world enterprise environments, proving their scalability and practicality in industries with demanding connectivity requirements.
Philippe Toussaint, Chief Technology Officer at Orange Belgium, emphasized the significance of the achievement, “Strengthened by our membership in the Orange Group, we’ve demonstrated the power of 5G network slicing automation. This technology provides virtualized, dedicated network slices over shared physical infrastructure, offering faster, more reliable, and customizable services for enterprises and individual subscribers.”
The success of this project underscores the potential of 5G slicing in enhancing telecom sector capabilities, paving the way for advanced connectivity solutions. It also highlights how partnerships between industry leaders can drive sustainable innovation, benefiting businesses and citizens alike.
Fabrice Sancho, Head of Ericsson Belgium, highlighted the project’s transformative potential, “This collaboration marks a pivotal step in monetizing 5G networks. Together with Orange Belgium, we have showcased how 5G slicing automation can revolutionize enterprise connectivity and drive further digitization across Belgium’s economy.”
