Elisa and Ericsson have announced the launch of the In-Service Software Upgrade (ISSU) capability on Elisa's live 5G Standalone (SA) network, powered by Ericsson's dual-mode 5G Core solution. This milestone makes Elisa the first service provider in Europe to deploy ISSU on a production 5G SA network, according to the statement.
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Europe's First ISSU Deployment
The ISSU capability allows Elisa to upgrade its core network software efficiently without causing any interruption to customer services or experiences. It is a crucial step in Elisa's cloud-native digital transformation strategy, as it paves the way for the automation and creation of self-driving networks.
Ericsson's dual-mode 5G Core solution, deployed using containers with Kubernetes orchestration, provides the foundation for Elisa's cloud-native architecture. One of the advantages of this architecture is the ability to upgrade and manage each microservice separately, ensuring uninterrupted service and maintaining network Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) during the upgrade process.
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Continuous Delivery and Deployment Model
According to the statement, operators like Elisa can leverage ISSU to introduce new technologies while maintaining existing service levels, capturing new business opportunities, and reducing manual efforts for software upgrades. This capability enables Elisa to support new features faster and increases the number of upgrades possible.
Deployed on Elisa Finland's live production 5G SA network
The ISSU capability is currently being used with live customer traffic on Elisa Finland's live production 5G SA network, and plans are underway to extend its implementation to other parts of the 5G Core solution. The successful deployment was made possible through Ericsson's Continuous Delivery and Deployment (CDD) pipeline, which automates the process and aligns with the cloud-native architecture.
Transitioning to a cloud-native architecture is a crucial aspect of the journey to 5G SA. Beyond technical advancements, it significantly impacts a service provider's operational model, enabling better speed of change, improved efficiency, higher network performance, and greater openness.
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Ericsson and Elisa Partnership
The joint statement says this achievement builds upon the strong partnership between Ericsson and Elisa. In 2020, they established an end-to-end 5G Standalone connection, a first in the Nordic region, and Ericsson was subsequently selected to provide the 5G Core network for Elisa Estonia's 5G SA rollout. The companies also collaborated on piloting Ericsson's private network solution for Elisa's enterprise customers in 2019.
Ericsson, with over 80 cloud-native dual-mode 5G Core customers and 19 live 5G SA networks globally, continues to drive innovation in the telecommunications industry. Through its core networks and Radio Access Network (RAN) business, Ericsson powers 145 live 5G networks, including 24 live 5G SA networks.
