Analysis of 5G mobile networks A brief review of the state of the art

Abstract

Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) is a networking approach proposed by ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) - whose founding ideas originate from the IT world and its SDN - that allows the replacement of specific hardware devices, such as routers, firewalls, and load balancers among other equipment, by software-based devices running as virtual machines on industry-standard servers. NFV decouples network functions from dedicated hardware devices and moves them to one or more virtual servers, which can perform multiple functions on a single physical server and the virtualized machines can be located in data centers, network nodes, or in the end-user's home. However, in Telecommunications - which is a capital-intensive industry - the move from hardware-based networks to software-based networks seems to look traumatic. Beyond the well-known problems of implementing new technology (unfamiliarity, interoperability failures, etc.), the path chosen to move from 4G to 5G seems more difficult and costly than what would have happened with the traditional path. In this article, we will mention the traditional path and describe the path chosen for the transition from 4G to 5G mobile networks in a way that will make clear the current state of 5G mobile networks.