Assuring network slices: an assessment of key automated assurance capabilities

The 5G network is expected to become the ‘services creation platform’ for next-generation communications, enabling the creation of separate network partitions (or ‘slices’) with unique network performance and latency characteristics. This report provides a framework for communications service providers (CSPs) to understand the implications of the challenges associated with network slicing.

This report provides:

• an explanation of the new demands on assurance in the context of network slicing
• a discussion of the underlying technology enablers for network slicing and why it creates new assurance challenges
• a high-level slice assurance framework
• recommendations regarding the key capabilities of a slice assurance solution.