Nokia Corp, said today it’s adding new 4G and 5G network slicing automation capabilities that will make it faster for telecommunications firms to deliver new services to customers.

Network slicing is used to optimize the allocation of networking resources to increase efficiency. It works by separating the control plane, which is the part of a network that carries signaling traffic, from the user plane, which carries networking traffic. With network slicing, operators can offer new services using specific slices or portions of the network that are section and tailored for specific use cases.

But as the number of different slices, customers and services grow, automation of slicing becomes essential for fast delivery and assurance, Nokia said. As such, its new slicing management solution includes assurance tools and controllers that span radio access network, transport and core network domains.

Network slicing automation operates as a software layer above the network, which means it can be programmed to be more consumable for end users via slices. The feature is useful in both 4G and 5G networks, the company said, and reduces the time it takes to deliver new services from hours or days to just minutes.

Nokia said the automated capabilities are being made available through software packages for its 4G and 5G New Radio network slicing product that was announced in February, and its Network Services Platform for transport and core. They enable real-time automation that makes it possible for network operators to create, modify and delete large numbers of slices in different domains.

Within these slices, operators can then create unique customer policies and group profiles and allocate performance, quality, routing and security resources as they see fit. It makes it possible to provide a variety of networking services for different use cases, such as small and large enterprises, private wireless and “internet of things” networks.

“By adding extreme automation capabilities, we are offering operators a single, modular solution that helps them deliver a new wealth of services at unprecedented speeds,” said Sasa Nijemcevic, head of network automation for Nokia’s IP/Optical Networks business.

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