For Orange, 2022 is a year of preparation, testing and deployment to facilitate commercial launches from 2023. Orange is mobilizing its experts and setting up a Network Integration Factory to test and validate technical chains, the performance of end-to-end services and to conduct tests with users.
5G SA brings increased performance in terms of uplink data rates for the end user and lower latency, and for businesses, it meets the need for flexible, scalable, reliable and secure connectivity for real-time uses. It will be possible to virtually slice the Orange 5G network (also known as “network slicing”), prioritize certain slices to cover critical uses or specific needs and offer different levels of quality and security. 5G SA and network slicing also allows Orange to evolve its range of mobile private network solutions. According to enterprise customers’ needs, a first option is to create a virtual private network on Orange’s public network. A second solution is to create a hybrid private network relying on shared equipment in the Orange network and dedicated equipment at the customer's site for critical flows and data.
Orange has chosen the following industrial partners:
- Ericsson’s 5G SA core network for Belgium, Spain, Luxembourg and Poland
- Nokia’s 5G SA core network for France and Slovakia, and Nokia’s Subscriber Data Management for all countries
- Oracle Communications for 5G core signaling and routing in all countries
For other network functions, in particular the radio, a software update of the existing equipment will be carried out.
The technology is already available for learning, testing and innovating with interested companies at Orange 5G Lab sites, and deployable globally on demand for B2B customers with Orange Business Services’ private network solutions.