5G is quickly becoming a reality, with widespread deployments well underway worldwide. 5G delivers speeds up to 1,000 times faster than 4G, as well as much lower latency and the ability to support huge numbers of devices connecting to the network simultaneously. Not only will 5G deliver benefits to the consumer in terms of increased speed and allow CSPs to address different enterprise markets, but will unlock the full potential of the Internet of Things (IoT) and support the vast array of connected devices that will be prevalent.
In order to deliver on these ambitious goals, 5G networks and mediation systems will be fundamentally different from their predecessors in a several ways, underpinned by a number of key technologies. Cloud-based virtualization, network slicing and microservices will all be key components of the 5G equation. CSPs will need charging agility and capacity, affordable scalability, a future-proof solution and an optimized process.