Spirent: 5G Activity Accelerates as Operators Look to Differentiate

5G activity surged in 2020 with accelerated timetables from service providers to deliver 5G SA core deployments, following non-standalone’s inability to really wow customers and deliver a solid new revenue proposition, said Spirent Communications in a new report.

According to the report, service provider engagement increased nearly 50% as service assurance integration ramped up, and leading operators accelerated 5G standalone network strategies and new 5G core deployments.

Here are some key takeaways from the report.

  • Because 5G is moving so fast, operators are turning to partners to deliver key elements: Through service contracts, elements that would previously have been delivered inhouse are now being delivered by trusted partners, as operators need to be able to move quickly to keep up with the complexity of 5G and the accelerated timetables.
  • 5G is driving new initiatives and engagements: The year saw notable growth in engagements with government, military and academia around 5G experimentation and security initiatives, as governments explore new use cases. Other notable initiatives include Cloud hyperscalers exploring operator edge partnerships, Open RAN being explored in support of supply chain diversity initiatives, and multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) accelerating their plans for 5G.
  • Automated Assurance and 5G are the new dynamic duo: Whether it was a core network buildout, lab certification, or new service delivered, 5G plus Automated Assurance were the dynamic duo that customers turned to as they sought to continue pushing forward with their 5G plans, with 80% of Spirent’s assurance business focused on 5G work.
  • The trend of accelerated timetables is here to stay: While the pandemic has undoubtedly accelerated 5G timetables, it seems likely this accelerated trend is here to stay

Spirent’s “5G 2021: Market Drivers, Insights & Consideration” report offers a broad view of market-wide 5G challenges, opportunities and plans, and is available as a download.