The ETSI Software Development Group OpenSlice delivers open source interoperability and customisability
Since 2023, the European Standardisation Organisation, ETSI, which sets European technical standards for tech products, has been working throught its Software Development Group, OpenSlice (SDG OSL), to develop an open source operations support system for telecommunication networks. 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 shared network service 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.
The SDG OSL evolves telecommunication networks from 5G to 6G
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 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,” says Dr. Christos Tranoris, University of Patras, who is a convenor of ETSI’s SDG OpenSlice. 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 Group originated from EU research initiatives and has played a key role in driving several of them forward.
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.
For more information on SDG OSL 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://github.com/openslice
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=DkBKhYaHqPg&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjY
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