Situation
A Tier 1 wireless service provider was undertaking a multi-phase, cloud-native based 5G SA Core network transformation initiative to enable and support its customers’ digital transformation. The service provider’s aim was to provide ultra-low latency connectivity for applications such as Smart Cities, Robotic Surgery, Industry 4.0 and AR/VR gaming, thus creating new markets and revenue streams for itself and its customers. Moreover, other service providers were pursuing 5G, which meant it was imperative to secure a first-mover advantage in this space.
Phase 1 of the 5G network transformation effort required integrating 5G with older 4G networks in select areas. Leadership was under pressure to deliver results on a tight timeline and needed an on-site team built from the ground up. The service provider lacked 5G stand-alone (SA) core expertise and turned to Strategic Alliance Consulting (SAC) to spearhead the mission-critical initiative.
Solution
SAC stepped in and quickly assessed the situation by interviewing the wireless provider’s management to understand their pain points, including the core competencies required to hit the ground running on Day 1. Due to 5G being a cutting-edge technology, experts are largely non-existent. SAC addressed this by sourcing 4G engineers and training them in 5G and related technologies. This involved developing a custom, accelerated four-week training and deployment program, with hands-on labs using SAC’s in-house trainer and carrier cloud learning lab.
After training, the team was deployed to integrate and test the 5G SA core to ensure that Phase 1 of the network transformation project met its deadline. This phase of the project involved the integration and compliance testing of 5G with older 4G networks to ensure interoperability and 4G-5G compatibility.
Results
Thanks to SAC’s ability to rapidly train and deploy consultants on bleeding-edge technology, the time-sensitive project was delivered on-time. Additionally, the client was able to upgrade to 5G SA Core in lab testing and integration.
This laid the foundation for delivering ultra-low latency, higher speeds, and more secure wireless connectivity. Another benefit was new inter-vendor compatibility and operability – unlocking innovative revenue generation possibilities for both itself and its customers.
Due to the success of Phase 1, the wireless service provider was able to continue with its cloud native strategy for digital transformation and partnered with SAC on subsequent phases of its 5G integration and testing.