Unlike previous wireless generations, the leap to 5G won’t just be about more speed for Nokia. The company wants to capitalize on the enterprise services market and plans to use software defined networking (SDN) to help it get there.

At the CTIA show in Las Vegas this week, Nokia is saying the 5G network it is developing will be much more than a new radio system. “The real opportunity is in developing 5G as a ‘system of systems’ that can provide a seamless service from the user’s perspective,” as Nokia's press release puts it.

With Nokia’s 5G architecture, nearly all network functions will become software-defined. That will allow for network slicing, in which multiple independent, virtual subnetworks are created within the same infrastructure while catering to different latency and reliability requirements.

An important part of Nokia’s network slicing concept is a self-aware, software-defined transport network that automatically adapts to the needs of different slices. This is achieved by using self-organizing networks (SON) for transport in combination with a multivendor SDN fabric.

Nokia announced a few other cloud products and services on Monday:

  • The Nokia OSS Office for Telco Cloud helps operators determine the best options for OSS tools and processes.
  • The Nokia AirFrame Data Center is now available in a container with an power and cooling system built-in. It can be dropped into place to cater for peak demand or to provide localized telco and IT services. A software-defined storage (SDS) module has also been introduced to provide flexible data storage pools within the data center environment.
  • Nokia Service Chaining provides service functions such as media optimizers that can be implemented dynamically in the cloud. Service chaining can also address peak loads and steer traffic.
  • Nokia cloud wise Care Services features two new service packages. Nokia Resolution Prime Services provides operators with a single point of contact and service management for resolving virtual networking function (VNF) faults in a multivendor telco cloud. Nokia TotalCare for VMware, a newly launched package, supports operators' VMware deployments with an extended SLA.