Atos is actively involved in five of the first European projects currently shaping the future 5G network, which raises significant expectations regarding network capacity, user experience quality, and energy savings. Technologies such as Network Function Virtualization (NFV) and Software-Defined Networks (SDN), in which Atos is positioning itself as a leading industry player, will be key to meeting the new challenges posed by 5G. In this respect, the "softwareization" of telecommunications with virtualization and cloud technologies will result in a more flexible, agile, and efficient network, fostering innovation among service providers and vertical industries.
Furthermore, 5G will be key to the development of new services in sectors such as automotive, energy, healthcare, multimedia, and smart cities. It will also affect the current telecommunications business model, which requires significant investments in infrastructure and maintenance, and where software networks may be the next step towards shared infrastructure among operators.
5 European projects to build 5G
Atos is actively involved in five of the first European projects that are defining the 5G network. These projects aim to position Europe as a key global player in defining the technology, standards, and deployment of the next generation of communications networks and services by 2020+.
• SONATA: Service Programming and Orchestration for Virtualized Software Networks.
Coordinated by Atos, this project will provide service patterns and techniques for describing composite services in 5G networks. It will offer a Software Development Kit (SDK) designed to increase the efficiency of network function and composite service developers by providing integrated access to a catalog and tools for editing, debugging, and analyzing monitoring data, along with service packaging for an operator. The SDK is complemented by a service platform that provides a flexible and extensible orchestration framework based on a plugin architecture for managing service execution.
• 5G NORMA: 5G Novel Radio Multiservice Adaptive Network Architecture.
5G NORMA will develop a new mobile network architecture that will enable the efficient adaptation of resources to dynamically manage fluctuations in traffic demand from heterogeneous services and changes in the local context. This "multi-operator mobile network" approach will leverage the adaptability and efficiency of network functions and allow for an inherent and dynamic allocation of network resources among operators.
• XHAUL: The 5G Integrated Fronthaul/Backhaul.
XHAUL aims to integrate the 5G fronthaul and backhaul transport networks to enable flexible, software-defined reconfiguration of all elements in a multi-carrier network within a unified, service-oriented management environment. XHAUL will consist of high-capacity switches and heterogeneous transmission links interconnected to remote radio heads, 5G macro and small cells, cloud processing units, and the points of presence of one or more service providers' core networks. XHAUL will flexibly interconnect 5G functions from both the access and core networks, hosted in the cloud using the network nodes themselves, through the implementation of a new network controller and a unified data frame for all transmission technologies and latency-controlled switches.
• SESAME: Small Cells Coordination for Multi-tenancy and Edge Services.
This project will develop the necessary infrastructure to enable multi-operator, multi-frequency, virtualized 5G radio access and services. SESAME proposes the concept of cloud-enabled multi-operator small cells (CESC), integrating a virtualized execution platform for the implementation of virtual network functions, providing self-management and execution of new applications and services within the access network infrastructure itself.
• 5GEX: 5G Exchange.
5GEX enables the orchestration of services from multiple vendors across multiple administrative domains. It will allow the combination of end-to-end network elements and services from multiple vendors, with heterogeneous technologies and resources.
Its goal is to enable collaboration between operators regarding 5G infrastructure services. www.5gex.eu
These projects are funded by the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 framework program, and Atos is collaborating with leading European telecommunications companies, prestigious research centers, and various universities. Atos contributes its expertise in virtualization technologies, 4G small cells, Service Level Agreement (SLA) automation, service orchestration, and its knowledge of telecommunications business processes to build cutting-edge 5G solutions.
Atos began its journey toward 5G several years ago by participating in significant projects co-funded by the European Commission, such as TROPIC ("Distributed computing, storage and radio resource allocation over cooperative femtocells" - ict-tropic.eu) and T-NOVA ("Network Functions as a Service over Virtualized Infrastructure" - t-nova.eu). These two projects focus on innovative services to provide cloud-based solutions, and Atos has contributed and expanded its technical and business expertise in virtualization, particularly in the virtualization of telecommunications network elements—a key component in the 5G framework.
In 2014, Atos joined the 5G Infrastructure Partnership (5G Public-Private Partnership PPP - 5g-ppp.eu), a joint initiative between the European ICT industry and the European Commission. Its main objective is to position Europe as a key global player in defining the technology, standards, and deployment of the next generation of communications networks and services by 2020+. Atos currently holds a seat on the 5G-PPP Board of Directors.
