The ETSI Software Development Group OpenSlice delivers open source interoperability and customisability for telecommunications

Since 2023, the European Standardisation Organisation, ETSI, which sets European technical standards for products,  with its Software Development Group, OpenSlice (SDG OSL), is developing an open source operations support system. This suite of software tools is specifically designed to help telecommunications service providers monitor, manage, and optimise their networks and services. The system not only enables the creation of customisable and interoperable networks but also facilitates rapid prototyping and experimentation in research and standardisation activities.

Rather than having companies and public bodies, such as cities, individually build and manage their own network infrastructures, this initiative offers a standardised Network as a Service (NaaS), a cloud-based shared network solution that can be customised to meet specific needs. The result is a more flexible, cost-effective, and easier-to-manage system. Additionally, by utilising a standardised networking infrastructure, this approach supports collaboration, promotes interoperability, and enables collective standardisation.

Delivering ETSI SDG OSL as an open source Network as a Service enabler, is a manifest to our commitment to pave the way for modern telco-cloud requirements, seamless integration and reference implementations for 6G, says Dr. Christos Tranoris, Senior Researcher at the University of Patras and Chair of ETSI SDG OSL. 
 

The SDG OSL evolves telecommunication networks from 5G to 6G via open source

The OpenSlice Group aims to advance 5G and 6G research and network services, while ensuring alignment with industry standards and providing ongoing feedback for improvement. The founding members of the Group are members from ETSI and from various public sector organisations and research institutions, such as the University of Patras in Greece and the University of Murcia in Spain. 

ETSI SDG OpenSlice will revolutionise the way network slicing is delivered,- Christos Tranoris

Network slicing, where the “OpenSlice” name is inspired from, is a concept in modern networks (especially 5G and beyond) that allows a single physical network to be divided into multiple virtual networks, each tailored to different needs. With the support of ETSI, the SDG OSL is focused on delivering customisable and interoperable network solutions, contributing to the evolution of the global telecommunications landscape to 6G. The OpenSlice platform is fully open source and the source code is publicly available and actively maintained on ETSI’s GitLab. 

OpenSlice’s open source nature builds trust, enables rapid issue resolution, and allows organisations to customise and extend it without vendor dependency. Its flexibility supports diverse 5G and future 6G requirements, ensures interoperability through standards-based interfaces, and benefits from continuous community-driven improvement—making it a strong alternative to proprietary OSS solutions.-  Dr. Christos Tranoris 
 

The OpenSlice Group originated from EU research initiatives and has played a key role in driving several of them forward.

The inception of OpenSlice was driven by the need to address the evolving challenges in telecommunications, particularly the demand for agile, interoperable, and standards-compliant solutions in the realm of Network as a Service (NaaS)- Dr. Christos Tranoris

By supporting a range of increasingly complex use cases, the SDG OSL achieved one of its earliest successes, and found a key motivation for its creation, through its involvement in the EU-funded project 5G-VINNI (2018–2021) in Patras, Greece. It managed to deploy “network slicing” 5G services on multiple sites in a multivendor environment with a combination of commercial and open source solutions. The city of Patras was selected from the Ministry of Digital Governance as one of the first 5G pilot cities in Greece. Under the 5G-VINNI plan, 5G infrastructure had been deployed across the city to facilitate 5G trials and validate the effectiveness of the proposed architecture. The 5G-VINNI facility in Patras became an exemplary open source 5G-IoT facility.

Public research institutions, universities, and government agencies can join as members or participants by signing the OSL Member & Participant Agreement. This process is free for ETSI members, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), academic institutions, public research bodies, and user or trade associations. They can utilise OpenSlice to manage and provision network services for various use cases, including smart cities, eHealth, and public safety. OpenSlice enables public sector entities to experiment with and refine network services tailored to societal needs.-  Dr. Christos Tranoris

 

A heartfelt thank you to Dr Christos Tranoris, Senior Researcher at the University of Patras and Chair of ETSI SDG OSL, as well as to all members of the SDG-OSL, for generously sharing their time and insights in support of this article.

 

For more information on SDG OSL click here and here. 

For more development milestones of the initiative click here and here

Sources

• https://interoperable-europe.ec.europa.eu/collection/open-source-observatory-osor/news/updated-country-report-open-source-software-greece
• https://osl.etsi.org/about/
• https://labs.etsi.org/rep/osl
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=DkBKhYaHqPg&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjY 

Image taken from Wikipedia