5G Roaming & Service Opening for MNOs

Madrid, 27 April 2023. – The rapid growth of 5G technology is opening up new possibilities for both consumers and enterprises, particularly in the realm of IoT/M2M use cases. In the wake of the pandemic, mobile operators worldwide have accelerated their strategic planning, testing, and expansion of 5G rollouts. While the consumer market will remain a key driver of 5G adoption in the near future, the true impetus behind this technology lies in the need to facilitate ultra-low latency and network slicing for time-critical IoT applications, while also enabling MNOs to offer cost-effective business models. 

5G Roaming: Simplifying Connectivity and Accelerating the Shift to Standalone Architecture

As with legacy technologies, MNOs are obliged to sign 5G bilateral roaming agreements and establish interconnections with peers to provide a global connectivity service for their customers. Again, as with legacy technologies, the process can be greatly simplified using intermediaries such as roaming hub or sponsored roaming providers. In addition, the sunsetting or shutting down of 2G and 3G networks around the world means that operators must accelerate their plans to support 5G roaming in order to remain competitive and reduce their existing operational costs.

5G roaming is predominantly being deployed using NSA (Non-Standalone) architecture, prior to rolling out 5G Standalone (SA) roaming services. The fundamental difference is that 5G NSA utilises LTE and 5G NR (5G New Radio) radio access and is controlled by the EPC (Evolved Packet Core). Meanwhile, the radio part is 5G NR and the core part is 5GC (5G Core) for 5G SA networks. While around 240 mobile operators have launched 5G NSA services, Kaleido estimates over 30 domestic 5G standalone commercial launches as of January 2023. More 5G SA launches will occur in 2023 as investments in 5GC continue to increase significantly, facilitating greater service customisation, simplified architecture, and improved security.

Clear Service Opening Roadmap and Prioritisation Essential for MNOs to Implement 5G Roaming.

MNOs must prioritise and define their migration strategy for 5G roaming to ensure they are prepared for the next generation of roaming services. It is crucial that they can handle the capacity, roaming coverage, quality of service and interconnection requirements and steering security policies. Therefore, it is imperative that MNOs focus on developing a robust 5G roaming migration plan towards 5G NSA and 5G SA that encompasses all aspects of network architecture, technology upgrades, and customer experience to remain competitive.

For operators deploying 5G NSA roaming, there is minimal additional complexity for traditional roaming traffic provided the relevant networks are LTE-enabled and EPC-based, with all signalling carried over IPX. However, international carriers will need to ensure that they can provide sufficient bandwidth to address anticipated surges in roaming data usage and signalling traffic generated by both consumers and IoT applications. 5G NSA roaming is available in more than 60 international markets as of January 2023. 5G NSA will continue to use the existing Diameter signalling protocol, and it is faster to deploy roaming services by mobile operators. According to the GSMA, operators can roll out 5G NSA roaming without any new roaming agreements but by signing a new LTE launch letter (BA50 v11.4 – Annex Y) and performing a new IREG test. In order to take advantage of 5G NSA roaming and gradually transition to 5G SA when the time is right, operators should commence the process of opening 5G NSA agreements as soon as possible.

However, when it comes to 5G SA roaming, operators will need to focus on several critical areas. These include supporting new signalling (HTTP/2) and network functional entities, investing in a robust and comprehensive IPX solution, deploying SEPP (Security Edge Protection Proxy) for the control plane to ensure security for interconnection and running 5G service openings, as well as implementing analytics and steering solutions to ensure 5G roaming QoS and KPIs. In addition, operators need to prioritise VoLTE roaming and BCE (Billing & Charging Evolution) deployment, as these are fundamental pre-requisites to 5G SA roaming.

It should be emphasised that there is still a significant need for design work in standardising security and end-to-end encryption for 5G SA roaming, in order to meet the business and technical requirements of MNOs. As a result, it is more pressing for MNOs to concentrate on 5G NSA, while the GSMA and 3GPP finalise these standards.

Undoubtedly, 5G roaming will be a critical factor in driving roaming revenues over the next 5 years, with operators focussing on new mMTC (massive machine type communication) and uRLLC (ultra-reliable low-latency communication) services. To expedite their 5G roaming roadmap and achieve commercial 5G roaming openings, operators must collaborate with vendors and roaming service providers to drive advancements in areas such as IPX, signalling, analytics, clearing, and security.

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As 5G brings additional complexity to the roaming environment, it is key to choose the right partner to support you on this transition. As a Tier 1 carrier, Telefónica Global Solutions (TGS) has many years’ proven experience delivering end to end roaming services to Telefónica Operating Businesses and partners as well as Tier 2, Tier 3 operators and MVNOs who take advantage of our scale and global roaming agreements.

With more than two decades of experience, our specialised team offers a complete, centralised solution for Service Openings, combining best in class technical tools with the weight of Telefónica Group agreement volumes to grant our customers fast openings with key partners around the world.

We’re ready for 5G, which means we can start working with you NOW to enable your 5G roaming agreements. Don’t miss the revenue opportunities this revolutionary technology brings you! You can count on us to manage all aspects of the opening process for you, from roaming partnerships and SIM management, to implementing IREG/TADIG testing, all underpinned by ongoing reporting and QoS assurances.

By Kaleido Intelligence