Category: Publications

NGMN ODiN White Paper Cover

ODiN – Operating Disaggregated Networks

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With network disaggregation, mobile network operators along with their partners are facing a major paradigm shift.

It promises a great deal of prospects, including the mere ability to respond to new demands of socio-economic transformation, of increasingly mobile, connected and smart societies, and automated industries. This paradigm shift, however, comes with a wide range of challenges.

This publication explores the appealing opportunities and the expected challenges arising from the disaggregation of mobile networks.

We put an emphasis on the perspective of mobile network operators and expected benefits such as:

  1. lower barriers to enter the market
  2. a more resilient ecosystem and supply chain
  3. enabled increased competition and innovation
  4. agility and flexibility

As well as expected challenges such as:

  1. increasing complexities in interoperability and in
  2. system integration and
  3. in achieving efficient and resilient operation

All these aspects lead to the need for a significant operating model transformation.

Going forward, we will develop blueprints for end-to-end operating models, enabling operators to make their individual right choices, and to address the industry to develop solutions for identified gaps.

With our ODiN project we invite the entire NGMN Partnership – vendors, system integrators and other interested parties – to jointly work on operating model requirements, analyse potential gaps and work on industry solutions to resolve the identified challenges. The project will also work with other relevant organisations and submit requirements to the industry.

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BASTA Active Antennas v2.0

Recommendation on Base Station Active Antenna System Standards

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The main scope of this White Paper is to describe and capture the electrical and mechanical key performance parameters of Active Antenna Systems and how to exchange this data electronically.

In addition, for the aim of RF-Electromagnetic Field exposure, a description of mechanisms to monitor and limit the power radiated by Active Antenna Systems is provided.

This is version 2.0 of the White Paper, which supersedes the version 1.0 published in January 2020.

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NGMN-Security-Considerations-for-5G-Network-Operation_Cover

Security Considerations for 5G Network Operation

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A 5G network relies on many new features like SDN/NFV while also introducing other new features such as slicing and MEC. New technologies and features create new challenges for operators in the 5G era to provide security protection for network operation. Moreover, the 5G network supports vertical industries where additional security requirements need to be considered by the 5G network to support vertical business services. Although network operation depends heavily on individual operator’s specific deployment and operations systems, it is still a good practice to build a common security ground for the success of 5G network deployment and operation.

The scope of this document is to:

  • Analyse new challenges as well as common security issues for 5G network operation
  • Investigate security requirements and guidelines in a technical and/or non-technical way for 5G network operation
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Network Customisation Based on Service Based Architecture V2.2

Network Customisation Based on Service Based Architecture

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In order to investigate the 5G service-based architecture (SBA) evolution to support various Verticals’ requirements, this White Paper provides some considerations including network functionality evolution, platform design and dynamic network resource allocation. The main aspects of this paper cover User Plane Function (UPF) service design and capability exposure, edge computing support, 5G network customisation, and dynamic network slice allocation.

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NGMN Sustainable Trust

Security Competence Team: Sustainable Trust

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Trust is a unique property in a human society, and has been implicitly existed in telecommunication system. Properly, managing Trust in telecommunication system would become a norm. Sustainable Trust Model puts telecommunication system into a new era. It provides a runtime evaluation of trustworthiness to all network functions and stakeholders via standard interactions. It also gives a complementary to all standardization development organizations (SDO) Trust Models.

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NGMN Green Future Networks Network Equipment Eco-Design and End to End Service Footprint

Green Future Networks: Network Equipment Eco-Design and End to End Service Footprint

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The main goal of the present White Paper is to give an overview of the existent procedures and visions for eco-design of Information & Communication Technologies (ICT) network equipment. In order to introduce network equipment eco-design principles, this White Paper investigates the strategy to reduce the environmental footprint and then presents the basis of circularity. It presents a method called Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), which allows to assess the network equipment environmental footprint with an accurate level of precision and completeness. A view on the materials footprint and the role of critical raw materials as part of product’s eco-design is given considering the associated supply risks. Other important topics dealt in this White Paper are network equipment re-manufacturing and refurbish benefits as well as innovation in packaging inspired in eco-design principles. To finalize, the status of work on the development of a methodology to measure the end-to-end services footprint is presented.

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NGMN Green Future Networks Sustainability Challenges

Green Future Networks: Sustainability Challenges and Initiatives in Mobile Networks

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The NGMN Green Future Network project expands on the discussion of sustainability as outlined in the NGMN 5G White Paper v2.0 and is focused on the identification and mitigation of environmental impacts generated by the network part of the Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) sector.

 

This is the first White Paper resulting from the NGMN Green Future Network project. It introduces the subject of sustainability in mobile networks and provides context of this broad and complex topic. The background, measurement and sector targets for greenhouse gas emissions impacting climate change are described, along with the exploration of renewable energy as a key strategy for service providers to tackle emissions, high level Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure the environmental performance, standardization work, energy efficiency in networks, as well as operator and vendor net-zero initiatives.

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NGMN Deckblatt Cloud Native Platforms Executive Summary 424x600

NGMN Cloud Native Enabling Future Telco Platforms Executive Summary v2.1

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This document provides an executive summary for the analysis of the transformation towards Cloud Native in the main network domains of the Telco infrastructure. The goal is to define a holistic view on the Cloud Native transformation framed in an Edge Hybrid Cloud scenario. This transformation is mainly perceived by the Telcos as an important driver for internal optimization, cost savings and to speed up vertical solution. From a broader perspective, it is also an enabler, for the Telcos, to join a wider ecosystem where Telcos, technology suppliers, developers and Hyperscale Cloud Providers work together leveraging on their own specific and unique assets. A full paper is also available.

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NGMN Deckblatt Cloud Native Future Telco Platformas 424x600

NGMN Cloud Native Enabling Future Telco Platforms v5.2

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This document focuses on specific technical areas that are considered relevant enablers for an Open Telco Platform. As a main pillar, the overall evolution toward Cloud Native is considered fundamental, with different needs and level of evolution in different network domains. To be part of a wider ecosystem, the Telco Platform must be open and programmable, so the exposure of the relevant Telco APIs is a key factor. Intelligence in the network plays an important role when it comes to support many Communication Services that have specific network requirements and that leverage on specific Telco assets. The scenario foresees different challenges and possible critical success factors are identified and discussed.

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NGMN Deckblatt 6G Drivers and Vision 424x600

6G Drivers and Vision

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In this paper, the NGMN MNOs, with input from NGMN Partners (vendors, research institutions), outline their vision for 6G representing a future evolution of networks enabling differentiated services with expanded market opportunities and novel experience.  It first describes the drivers for 6G, and the key necessities to guide the future technologies to respond to the needs of the end users, societies, and MNOs. This is followed with NGMN’s vision of 6G, its novelty and capabilities to meet the drivers identified.

We discuss a number of fundamental aspects, including new scope and approach, that need to be considered in design and development of the next generation of standards and technologies. Furthermore, we recommend that research and the development of future ecosystems prioritize the key gaps and challenges discussed in this paper.

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