A Cloud-Native Approach to 5G Network Slicing

5G networks will support very diverse and challenging requirements. Network slicing offers an effective way to unlock the full potential of 5G networks and meet those requirements using a common network infrastructure. This article presents a cloud-native approach to network slicing that advances a fundamental rethinking of the mobile network to shift its architectural vision from a network of entities to a network of capabilities, and its driving purpose from a network for connectivity to a network for services. The approach covers the entire life cycle of network slices, encompassing their design, creation, deployment, customization, and optimization. We provide an overview of our cloud-native approach to network slicing and describe a proof-of-concept implementation that demonstrates its key principles.