Bridge the Generations

The transition to 5G should be easy. Openet has developed a generation bridge to ensure 5G readiness as well as optimal continuity of existing assets.

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5G Data Bridge

5G technology represents a huge commercial opportunity for Operators. It allows enormous extension of value propositions in enterprise, IOT and lifestyle market offerings through directly provided devices/content/services or by means of value-chain collaboration and enablement. However, there are challenges with 5G, including how to quickly and efficiently adopt 5G whilst ensuring optimised 4G continuity and how to manage these service offerings in a more automated network environment that will require seamless service availability on 5G as well as 4G and other more legacy network traffic.

5G Data Bridge is effectively a “handler” of 4G/5G capabilities in hybrid environments and as such it enables 5G services to roll out with confidence whilst safeguarding 4G assets. It is a means to handle Diameter-dependent services on CHF / PCF (5G charging and policy functions) and adaptable for reverse-direction REST to Diameter. It is highly adaptive to more efficiently enable the dynamic and diverse service environment that 5G business (and profit) will give rise to.

Source: GSMA The Mobile Economy 2019 ›

A Richer Tapestry

During the transition to 5G however 3G/4G assets provide valuable coverage and capacity that will need to be optimised as seamlessly as possible as part of a new 5G microservices-enabled ecosystem. 4G-driven services may even enjoy a new lease of life as 5G becomes available and 4G capacity is freed up. The potential impacts to individual users amid this new complexity can be enormously positive rather than disruptive or frustrating. Without the right traffic/service considerations 4G-limited users (e.g. those only on 4G devices rather than 5G devices) could be disappointed not to have sufficient access or prioritisation. Charging also needs to be consolidated and optimised. As 5G services roll out, 4G services may risk consumer and enterprise backlash due to comparatively poor experiences. This does not need to be the case. With Openet 5G Data Bridge, consistent 4G/5G handling is ensured.

How it Works:

Ensuring Effective 5G Rollout and Service Optimisation

To support our strategy to evolve Operators towards a REST-based microservices platform, Openet is supporting Diameter based integration with the Core (5G) Network. From a Diameter perspective this includes our ability to support at the very least (but not limited to): Gy/Ro, Rf, Sy, Gx and Rx interfaces: and their integration from a proxy and protocol conversion perspective to the relevant 5G Data Bridge interfaces (e.g. Nchf, Npcf or other relevant REST interfaces as they are defined by 3GPP). Further, for internal REST interfaces Openet is supporting the integration between Openet microservices that will process requests and provide the relevant response to relevant (3G/4G) calling nodes. We have also recognised the need to support REST to Diameter conversion to support callbacks such as RAR’s (RE-Authorisation-Requests) or other notifications. This will involve incorporation of REST server functionality in the diameter application. The main requirement is to translate all possible Diameter requests for 3G / 4G Policy and Charging to REST requests for 5G CHF/PCF while also enabling a customisation point for translation variations (including REST to Diameter) for various interfaces supported.

Configuration and Use Cases

Translation of Diameter interface request to REST request for all possible combinations (Gy/Ro to Nchf, Sy to Nchf, etc.); and vice-versa

Supports single diameter interface and single REST endpoint for request/response

Supports translation of incoming POST request from 5G element (e.g. CHF) to 4G element (e.g. OCS) for notification or reauthorisation request. (Notification/ RAR)

Supports translation customisation via Java • Pass Diameter vendor specific extension to 5G NE (CHF) in REST blob for processing rather than processing this in the Data Bridge

Failure handling flows e.g. REST timeout, Diameter timeout, CHF non-response

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