Intelligent CIO North America Issue 22 | Page 42

FEATURE : 5G the operational complexity involved . Operations teams at telecom companies are responsible for managing extremely complex , cloud-native software environments . To do this using out-of-date provisioning and fault management methods makes the process virtually untenable .
What ’ s needed is automation , and this is where AI and ML can shine . For example , operators can leverage these tools to automate testing , by emulating complex

THERE ARE SEVERAL KEY TRENDS COMPANIES SHOULD BE PAYING ATTENTION TO IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THE DIRECTION 5G WILL TAKE .

5G environments in the cloud and enabling teams to identify and address problems before they become issues for customers .
Spirent is confident , based on its test and assurance work during the past year , that ML and intelligent automation are poised for growth based on a proven ability to boost network performance and fault management . Operators are ramping up their investments in automated active testing and assurance systems that are based on highly realistic traffic emulation , versus legacy monitoring-based approaches .
Many communications operators are looking to partner with cloud providers to quickly capitalize on infrastructure and scale . These types of engagements gained momentum in 2021 , as operators came to terms with how difficult it can be for traditional operations teams to manage cloudnative infrastructure .
They will pair these systems with ML algorithms for real-time decisioning on where , when and what to test for service improvement or fault isolation . This year will likely see ML used for security enhancements and for running test workloads in the public cloud . It ’ s all part of a move toward a self-driving , cognitive network .
Emphasis on the cloud
Network providers have also been enticed by the economies of scale they can enjoy when collaborating with the world ’ s largest technology companies . It ’ s likely that these operator / hyperscaler collaborations will proliferate . But there will also be demand for solutions that support the easy migration of workloads from one environment to another as providers look to avoid vendor lock-in .
As 5G rollouts accelerate , large telecom operators are lining up multiple network equipment manufacturers ( NEMs ) in an attempt to take advantage of best-ofbreed network functions .
They are also evaluating different cloud-native environment strategies , including using solutions provided by NEMs ; building their own with a leading cloud computing virtualization platform ; or having one supplied completely by hyperscalers .
Ultimately , a key goal of 5G is to bring the agility , scalability and efficiency of cloud environments to communications networks . But it ’ s likely that communications providers with little cloud experience will need help developing their 5G cloud strategies .
DSS addresses coverage issues
In many markets , 5G competition is being driven by coverage issues . Dynamic Spectrum Sharing ( DSS )
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