Services that require high-end network performance, such as enhanced broadband or extremely low latency, are key in the 5G era. Meeting these requirements will be imperative as operators look to expand service offerings and business opportunities. To effectively meet such demands, cloud-native networks are receiving significant attention in the telecom industry as they are able to pair IT benefits with 5G systems. Samsung’s cloud-native 5G core is developed as a container-based, micro-service architecture, and designed as a service-based architecture (SBA). With cloud-native characteristics, the control and user plane can be separated and each function can be flexibly deployed and scaled according to service conditions.

Although 5G is growing rapidly, coexistence with existing network technologies is expected to continue for some time. Samsung's core solution supports multi-generation technologies as a single, common core, enabling rapid construction of the latest 5G Standalone core network and smooth upgrade from legacy technologies. It allows operators to naturally transform their core network into a cloud-native based system. The common core also contributes to significantly increased operational efficiency as only one integrated system needs to be managed compared to building, operating, and managing multiple core systems separately. Operators who intend to migrate their network to 5G Standalone run different networks under various environments and conditions. For example, whether a cloud-native infrastructure has already been introduced and which technologies are currently under operation differ from operator to operator. Samsung’s common core solution is ready for any scenario and supports operators evolving to the next chapter of 5G at their own unique pace.

Samsung’s cloud-native core solution lays the foundation for automating many parts of network operation that were previously manually performed, thereby reducing the complexity of network operation and enabling cost-effective operation. Samsung’s cloud-native core enables Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD), which automates the entire Life Cycle Management (LCM) of network functions. This shortens the time-to-market for software delivery and ensures the system is running on the latest software release version. Another important aspect of automating core operation is AI/ML based closed-loop automation. 3GPP is standardizing a new network function, NWDAF, which streamlines how core network data is produced and consumed. Collecting and analyzing data, it generates insights and takes proper action to maintain the best condition of core network operation. This will eventually enable zero-touch automation, excluding human intervention in the operational process and optimize the network to deliver a superior network experience.