Ciena unveiled a trio of 5G routers designed to ease the transition from 4G to 5G by helping mobile and wholesale network operators achieve the low-latency, high-performance demands for 5G fronthaul, midhaul, or backhaul transport.

The networking vendor's 5168, 5166, and 5164 routers attempt to address challenges faced by network operators at each phase of their 5G deployments. All three are capable of soft and hard network slicing, segment routing, and FlexE switching for converged 4G and 5G backhaul over a common interface.

The 5G routers also benefit from network automation courtesy of Ciena's Blue Planet. Features include network slicing, dynamic planning, and the ability to measure and report on different service level agreements.

"These new programmable systems, in combination with Blue Planet's intelligent software, show promise in delivering the type of lean, automated network 5G requires," IDC analyst Rajesh Ghai said in a statement.

Additionally, Ciena updated Blue Planet with new 5G themed capabilities including the ability for operators to create dynamic service-level-agreement-based virtual networks tailored to operators' needs.

Blue Planet also supports dynamic planning capabilities to deliver real-time visibility of the operator's network and service inventory.

Blue Planet has grown considerably since it formed from the remains of Cyan, which Ciena purchased in 2015, and the company's own SDN and automation services.

Ciena spun Blue Planet into a new orbit in early 2019 where it would operate as an independent division. The division eventually swallowed up service assurance and network performance vendor Centina to bolster its automation capabilities.