TIM chooses Ericsson technology for its 5G Standalone network

The core network 5G standalone from TIM will be based on equipment supplied by Ericsson. The Swedish multinational will not only make the hardware available, but will also offer network orchestration and automation services, which will make it possible to effectively manage the network slicing, i.e. the subdivision of the cellular network into virtual sub-networks separated from a logical point of view, and equipped with different SLAs. The same infrastructure will therefore be able to simultaneously provide the 5G service for private users and 5G services intended, for example, for industry 4.0 applications.

TIM’s new 5G network

TIM’s current 5G network is of type Evolved Packet Core (EPC). This means that it is not a standalone network, but of the NSA, Non-Standalone type. The EPC takes care of managing the core network functions, and 5G signals are managed by 5G RAN (Radio Access Network) devices. This approach has made it possible to quickly and cost-effectively integrate 5G technology, adding it to pre-existing LTE networks without disrupting them.

As can be understood, the potential of 5G is not exploited to the fullest: the speeds are higher than 4G, but it is not possible to enable URLLC-type communications (Ultra-reliable low latency communications) nor scenarios such as Mobile edge computing. Even network slicing cannot be exploited to the fullest: to do so, it is necessary to rely on a cloud-native core 5G network.

Now that 5G terminals are starting to spread and 3G networks are being phased out, operators can start building Standalone 5G networks so as to fully grasp the opportunities of 5G.

In the case of TIM, the choice for equipment fell on the Ericsson offer. “This new partnership with TIM will make it possible to take full advantage of 5G, to the benefit of both consumers and businesses, and will help accelerate the country’s digital transformation.” explains Andrew Missori, Chief Executive Officer of Ericsson in Italy. “In fact, it is with the standalone 5G that a series of new generation services can be activated that require high performance, low latency and maximum security, as well as the network slicing function that will allow operators to monetize the quality of the network”.