Telefonica Germany (O2 Telefonica) has signed an extension to its core network partnership with Ericsson, aiming to advance 5G capabilities. This partnership leverages Ericsson's dual-mode 5G Core and cloud infrastructure, already supporting 45 million O2 Telefonica subscribers across 5G Standalone (SA), 5G Non-Standalone (NSA), 4G, and 2G networks, according to the official release.
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In-Service Software Upgrades
The new agreement emphasises the implementation of advanced network features, including the first In-Service Software Upgrade (ISSU) in the dual-mode 5G Core user plane. This allows software upgrades without service disruption, enhancing network reliability and customer experience.
Cloud-Native Transformation
O2 Telefonica's recent cloud-native transformation with Ericsson has modernised its packet core network, facilitating the rollout of 5G SA and future-proofing its infrastructure. This setup is now ready to support advanced 5G SA network slicing services with assured quality of service and network programmability via exposed Network APIs, the joint statement said.
In May, the technology partners completed the first In-Service Software Upgrade (ISSU) of network functions in the core network's user plane in O2 Telefonica’s production network under load, at scale, and without service disruption.
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Network Slicing and Automation
O2 Telefonica said: "With Ericsson, we have embarked on a cloud-native transformation journey and are now going to develop it further by expanding our portfolio and capabilities towards network slicing, automation, and API access. This allows us to roll out new features faster and without temporary maintenance breaks - an important step towards the network of the future."
The collaboration enables capabilities to deliver advanced 5G Core automation and orchestration, which helps O2 Telefonica fully take advantage of the benefits of its cloud-native ecosystem, Ericsson said.
