5G Roaming & Service Opening for MNOs

Madrid, 27 Abril 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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Elegir al socio adecuado para que te apoye en la transición a 5G es fundamental, debido a la complejidad adicional del roaming 5G. Como Carrier T1, Telefónica Global Solutions (TGS) cuenta con muchos años de demostrada experiencia en la prestación de servicios de roaming end-to-end, tanto a los OBs y socios del Grupo Telefónica como a operadores de nivel 2, 3 y MVNOs, que se benefician de nuestro volumen y acuerdos de roaming globales.

Con más de dos décadas de experiencia, nuestro equipo especializado ofrece una solución completa y centralizada para Service Openings, combinando las mejores herramientas técnicas con el potencial de los volúmenes de acuerdos del Grupo Telefónica para garantizar a nuestros clientes aperturas rápidas con socios clave a nivel mundial.

Estamos preparados para el 5G, lo que significa que podemos empezar a trabajar contigo AHORA para habilitar tus acuerdos de roaming 5G. ¡No pierdas las oportunidades de ingresos que te brinda esta revolucionaria tecnología! Puedes contar con nosotros para gestionar todos los aspectos del proceso de apertura, desde los acuerdos de roaming y la gestión de SIM hasta la implementación de las pruebas IREG/TADIG, todo ello respaldado por informes continuos y garantías de calidad de servicio.

By Kaleido Intelligence