Tokyo Japan – In April 2024, NEC Corporation (NEC, TSE No. 6701), the world’s leading IT and network transformation services provider, announced a new user service for carriers that can be used to process user data traffic in the 5G core. We are launching plain function (UPF) products. network. Enhanced Deep Packet Inspection (DPI, *1) function that enables visualization of communication quality and collection of traffic data, interface for external exposure that provides data to external systems (external analyzers) for detailed analysis, and The new UPF achieves platform compatibility and contributes to the construction of flexible, high-value-added networks for the Beyond 5G/6G era.
Background to the introduction of the new UPF
In the Beyond 5G/6G era, the range of applications of mobile networks will expand from IOT, *2 devices, smart cities, architecture and civil engineering to manufacturing. As a result, service level agreements (SLAs, *3) are becoming more diverse, requiring things such as low latency, high reliability, and stable throughput. In networks that comply with such a wide variety of SLAs, carriers not only need to be able to timely and accurately assess communication quality, but also need to have the flexibility to appropriately reflect analysis results on the network side.
Key to enhancements
1. Real-time monitoring of communication quality and timely utilization of data
The new UPF facilitates the acquisition of data that can be used for real-time monitoring of communication quality and traffic analysis to maintain and improve communication quality and reliability. To fully understand and maintain communication quality, you need information such as the types of applications users use, the amount of data each application communicates, the throughput experienced, and the number of packets discarded. With enhancements to built-in DPI functionality, you can now visualize and transform the data you need for each type of application you use. This will enable carriers to analyze traffic trends and monitor communication quality for each application in real time, allowing them to quickly respond to reports from corporate customers and users, offer new rate plans tailored to services, etc. Contribute to improving customer satisfaction. trends etc.
2. Realization of SLA-guaranteed mobile network by linking external devices
The new UPF is equipped with an interface to monitor communication quality and provide various data acquired to external analysis equipment. By incorporating this interface, external analyzers can be used to quickly analyze the data needed to improve network operations, such as detecting signs of connection failure due to deterioration in communication quality and autonomously maintaining the quality of the user experience. Improving analysis accuracy will accelerate the realization of mobile networks with guaranteed SLA.
3. Building a flexible network with multi-platform support
In the Beyond 5G/6G era, service areas are expected to expand to all sorts of places that cannot be covered by existing networks, including the sea, sky, and space. It is also believed that everything is connected to the network. Until now, core networks have generally been installed and operated within the private data centers of telecommunications carriers, but in the future it will be necessary to utilize public clouds and install servers near customers to cover data processing. is expected to occur. Expand. Based on open technology and infrastructure, this product enables packet processing that does not depend on a specific platform, making it possible to flexibly respond to these needs. This not only gives carriers more freedom to build their networks, but also reduces deployment time, accelerates service delivery, and maximizes revenue.
Example operator network configuration with new UPF
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*1) DPI is a technology that identifies the type of communication content by analyzing in detail the packets of traffic data flowing on the network.
*2) IoT is a technology that connects everything in the real world to the Internet and improves industrial efficiency, automation, and convenience in life through the collection and transmission of data.
*3) An SLA is a contract signed between a service provider and a customer that sets objectives and standards related to service quality and performance.
