NETSCOUT boosts 5G slicing visibility for operators
NETSCOUT has updated its 5G observability offering for communications service providers, with a focus on giving operators end-to-end visibility into 5G Standalone network slices and auditable service-level performance.
The company said operators need continuous visibility across the radio access network and the core network as they expand network slicing services. Operators increasingly use slicing for services that require defined performance characteristics, including immersive gaming, large live events and some mission-critical applications.
Market growth
Industry forecasts point to rapid growth for the technology. ABI Research expects the global network slicing market to rise from $6.1 billion in 2025 to $67.5 billion by 2030. That projection implies a 62% compound annual growth rate across the period.
GSMA Intelligence also expects 5G Standalone to take a larger share of overall 5G connections. It projects 5.6 billion 5G connections by 2030, with 65% of those connections on 5G Standalone networks. The organisation has said operators with 5G Standalone networks sit in a stronger position to address demand for AI applications that typically require low latency.
Service assurance
NETSCOUT positioned network slicing as a commercial lever for operators, with service assurance as a central requirement. It said observability and analytics need to show how each slice performs against contractual commitments and operational targets.
"Network slicing is where 5G creates incremental revenue opportunities," said Paolo Trevisan, AVP, Product Management, NETSCOUT. "We are giving CSPs the visibility they need to confidently meet their SLAs. By automating operations across every slice and tenant, operators can efficiently and effectively monetise differentiated services and premium service tiers while ensuring an exceptional customer experience. This is the key to unlocking the commercial promise of 5G Standalone."
Network slicing lets an operator run multiple logical networks on shared physical infrastructure. Operators can assign different performance policies and resource characteristics to each slice. Those settings often map to commercial packages and service tiers sold to enterprises and other customers.
NETSCOUT said its approach centres on end-to-end visibility for 5G Standalone slicing services. The company described this as an operational requirement as operators attempt to scale slicing across multiple tenants and use cases.
Automation features
The company highlighted closed-loop automation and orchestration as part of its proposal for slice management. It said these functions can keep a slice aligned with performance objectives over time.
NETSCOUT also pointed to digital twins as a method to simulate slice behaviour. It described this as a way to optimise quality and reduce risk during service introduction. It also described it as a route to shorten time-to-market for new services.
The company said AIOps-based resource forecasting and SLA management can keep slice performance resilient and right-sized. It also said cross-domain correlated data can reduce triage times from hours or days to minutes, which would affect how quickly operations teams find root causes and resolve issues.
NETSCOUT also referenced Network Data Analytics Function in 5G, often abbreviated to NWDAF. It said NWDAF-driven insights can adjust latency, jitter, and throughput across network slices as conditions change.
Operational risk
The company framed slicing as a move from best-efforts connectivity to products backed by service-level agreements. It said this shift increases the need for operators to prove performance and maintain audit trails of service delivery.
NETSCOUT also set out the risks operators face if they fail to measure and evidence slice performance. It cited SLA penalties, customer churn, and slower enterprise adoption as potential outcomes when service assurance does not keep pace with slicing deployments.
The company expects operators to keep expanding slicing as 5G Standalone deployment increases and more services demand predictable performance characteristics.