Elisa and Ericsson Launch In-Service Software Upgrade Capability on Live 5G SA Network

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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Also Read: Elisa to Shut Down 3G in Finland During 2023 in Phases

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.

Also Read: Elisa Expands 5G Network to More Municipalities in Lapland

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.