If you have ever had the chance of using the new 5G wireless technology, you can attest that it is faster than today’s 4G access. Even though it is yet to reach full deployment, it does show signs of helping change how we do things. This new 5G network supports a wide array of services with varied performance requirements.
To ensure you leverage what it offers, it is highly recommended that you acquaint yourself with 5G network functions. As is the case with 4G EPC, the 5G core is known to aggregate traffic from end devices. What is even better, it authenticates subscribers and devices, and applies personalized policies while at the same time managing the mobility of the devices before routing the traffic to operator services or the internet.
Some might argue that the 4G Evolved Packet Core (EPC) and 5G Core perform similar functions. While there is some truth in that, there are a few major differences between the two. For instance, the 5G Core is decomposed into a number of Service-Based Architecture (SBA) elements and is designed straight from the ground up for complete control and under planer separation.
With the new 5G Core, operators get to benefit from the flexibility they need to meet the diverse network requirements of all the different 5G use cases. This goes well way beyond high speed fixed wireless or mobile broadband services. That’s why the heart of the new 5G Core architecture will remain to be cloud software design.
It is highly recommended that you spend some time examining the different 5G network functions available. They include User Plane Function (UPF), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) and Session Management Function (SMF), to mention a few. Remember, these are just some of the new network functions of the 5G Core Service-Based Architecture.
Before making the shift from 4G to 5G, be sure to do your homework. Take this as the perfect opportunity to find out more about the different 5G network functions available. It is then that you will easily tell what you are dealing with.
