Ericsson and Orange Belgium have announced the successful completion of an innovative 5G slicing automation project. Funded by the Belgian State Federal Public Service Economy (FOD/SPF Economie) as part of its "Telecom to the next level - towards sustainable and innovative solutions" program, the pioneering initiative represents a major leap forward in 5G network orchestration, delivering end-to-end automation of network slices– a key enabler for future enterprise applications.

The collaboration leverages the industry leading Ericsson Service Orchestration and Assurance. It is the first demonstration in a live 5G network of its capability to seamlessly create and manage end-to-end 5G network slices spanning both core and radio network domains in a multi-vendor and RAN sharing scenario. Ericsson Service Orchestration and Assurance interfaces with a multi-operator radio access network (MORAN) and showcases the potential for 5G slicing to operate efficiently, particularly in multi-domain and multi-vendor environments. In this environment, MWingz provided essential support, enabling robust integration between Ericsson's orchestration platform and the shared radio network infrastructure.

One of the project's standout achievements is the automated lifecycle management of network slices, tailored to meet the specific needs of enterprise customers. In a live enterprise environment, these slices illustrated their practical application and scalability for industries that demand secure, high-performance and low-latency connectivity.

Philippe Toussaint, Chief Technology Officer of Orange Belgium says: "Strengthened by our membership of the Orange Group, we successfully demonstrated 5G network slicing automation, underscoring our commitment to delivering advanced technological solutions. This capability provides virtualized, dedicated network 'slices' over shared physical infrastructure. Our collaboration with Ericsson highlights how such innovations enhance telecom sector capabilities, offering faster, more reliable, and customizable network services that benefit both enterprise clients and individual subscribers."

Fabrice Sancho, Head of Ericsson Belgium, says: "This project marks a pivotal step in the value creation and monetization of 5G networks. In collaboration with Orange Belgium, we have demonstrated the potential of 5G slicing automation to revolutionize enterprise connectivity, and showcase the route to further progress and further digitization for Belgian businesses and citizens."

The outcome of this project lays the groundwork for future advancements in 5G technology, enabling dynamic, flexible and scalable connectivity solutions for industries ranging from manufacturing to healthcare. The ability to automatically configure and manage 5G network slices will be instrumental in supporting mission-critical applications, smart cities and IoT ecosystems. It will also enable the mass deployment of advanced consumer use cases.

FOLLOW US:

Subscribe to Ericsson press releases here
Subscribe to Ericsson blog posts here

MORE INFORMATION AT:
Ericsson Newsroom

ABOUT ERICSSON

Ericsson's high-performing networks provide connectivity for billions of people every day. For nearly 150 years, we've been pioneers in creating technology for communication. We offer mobile communication and connectivity solutions for service providers and enterprises. Together with our customers and partners, we make the digital world of tomorrow a reality.

ABOUT ORANGE BELGIUM

Orange Belgium is one of the major telecommunication operators on the Belgian market, with revenues of 977.6 million euros, 3.4 million mobile customers and more than 1 million fixed broadband customers on 30 June 2024, and in Luxembourg, via its subsidiary Orange Communications Luxembourg. Thanks to its own fixed and mobile networks, Orange Belgium offers both residential and business customers fixed and mobile connectivity services and convergent offerings (internet, telephony, television, including original TV content: Be tv, VOOsport, etc.). As a responsible operator, Orange Belgium invests to reduce its ecological footprint and promote sustainable and inclusive digital practices. Orange Belgium is also a wholesale operator, offering its partners access to its infrastructure as well as a broad portfolio of connectivity and mobility services, including offerings based on Big Data and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Orange Belgium is a subsidiary of the Orange Group, present in 26 countries with a total customer base of 285 million customers worldwide on 30 June 2024. Orange is also a leading provider of global IT and telecommunication services to multinational companies under the brand Orange Business.
Orange Belgium is listed on the Brussels Stock Exchange (OBEL).

ABOUT MWingz

MWingz, a joint venture of Orange Belgium and Proximus, manages Belgium's shared Radio Access Network (RAN), enabling efficient, collaborative telecom infrastructure. MWingz is dedicated to provide a robust platform for advanced connectivity solutions, including 5G deployments.

ABOUT FOD / SPF ECONOMIE

Federale OverheidsDienst (FOD) / Service Public Fédéral (SPF) Economie is the Federal Public Service responsible for economic affairs in Belgium, supporting innovation and development in key sectors to drive the country's economic growth and technological leadership.