Now, wherever in the world, you can provide 5G coverage (architected differently to deliver speed, low latency, capacity, and numerous other benefits), as 5G service offers quickly and cost-efficiently. When it comes to advanced 5G (ultra-low network latency and very high throughputs), use cases that will transform businesses and the day-to-day life of consumers. These things will only be achievable with 5G Core (5GC) and New Radio (NR) standalone technologies. So, now let us into 5G Core & NR Standalone testing with Reliable Mobile Network Monitoring Tools, Mobile Network Drive Test Tools, Mobile Network Testing Tools and Reliable RF drive test tools & equipment, RF tester software app & network LTE 4g tester.
What is the 5G Core Network?
The 5G Core (5GC) network architecture plays the foremost role in the 5G mobile network. It enables the improved throughput demand (5G must support) and establishes reliable, secure connectivity to the networks for end-users along with providing access to its services. The new 5G Core utilizes cloud-aligned, service-based architecture (SBA) that covers all 5G functions as well as communications such as authentication, security, session management, and aggregation of traffic from end devices.
The 5G core network is a primary component of the 5G System known as 5GS (source) – enabling the advanced functionality of 5G networks. Apart from this, another two components are the 5G Access network (5G-AN) and User Equipment (UE).
The new 5G Core specification has announced radical changes in the method where mobile networks get designed to support varied services with varied performance requirements – from enhanced mobile broadband solutions to huge Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity and from massive IoT connectivity to ultra-reliable, mission-critical communications.
What is 5G Standalone?
The standalone mode (SA) is one of the main 5G NR deployment modes. When it comes to standalone mode, the full 5G technical paradigm is deployed, and no involvement of the residual 4G technical underpinnings. So, the best part of the 5G NR standalone is that clients will be achieved all 5G benefits if they can take advantage of the deployment. Here, one question might arise, what exactly is 5G NR? The 5G New Radio or 5G NR is a set of standards that takes the mobile network one step further.
The standalone (SA) mode of 5G NR defines that 5G cells are used for both signaling and information transfer – incorporates the new 5G Packet Core architecture to allow the deployment of 5G without the LTE network. According to a survey report (Enea.com), 37% of MNOs will deploy 5G SA within 2022. (source: Alepo)
For those mobile operators looking to offer new services to Industry 4.0, Standalone 5G NR makes the most sense because it is better aligned to support the new cases and unlock the power of the next-generation (5G) mobile technology. The SA (standalone) mode in 5G NR does not rely on LTE, allows an operator to address massive machine-to-machine communications (ultra-reliable low latency IoT), and provides network slicing functionality. For this reason, even customers (especially those who want to tap into new 5G use cases requiring ultra-low latency and Edge computing) are preferring to go with 5G NR SA (New Radio Standalone).
How do we ensure the stability of 5G core networks?
To ensure the stability of a stable 5G Core network and 5G NR Standalone solution, some tests that need to be carried out assuming multiple eNodeB and gNB are integrated (5G-AN) as mentioned below.
- End-user UE based testing performing data, latency, video streaming, and voice (if supported)
- Uploading and downloading large volumes of data over 5G networks
- Load testing, for example, generating real user traffic with a high number of real UEs
- Mobility testing
- Soak testing for more than 48 hours to check if any of the functional elements fails
- Network availability tests
5G end-to-end testing tools such as RantCell can generate real traffic loads with real UEs on 5G SA or 5G NSA networks, provide KPI statistics of performance, and perform the majority of the above test scenarios.
Conclusion
Yes, now 5G can fit into your future business plans. With 5G (NR standalone and 5G core), you can boost the performance of your existing 4G LTE systems to get for a smooth, seamless, and cost-effective transition as the 5G ecosystem evolves. And tools such as RantCell can help many operators or enterprises to achieve a stable 5G Core network and 5G NR Standalone.
