5G isn’t even fully adopted, yet the industry is already building for what’s next with some of the biggest industry players merging resources. At the beginning of October Nokia announced a deal with Hewlett Packard Enterprises aimed at ushering in 6G. It’s all to do with autonomous networking, integrating HPEs RAN intelligent controller into the MantaRay platform.

It’s a big move, even shifting HPEs development team across to Nokia’s Mobile Networks division. That’s not something that major companies do lightly. Some believe that this is a strategic move on HPE’s part as they aim to expand their reach in networking.

It’s believed that the primary goal of this licensing agreement is to enable Nokia to develop its artificial intelligence-based SMO platform. Both Nokia and HPE have the advantage of being major players in their respective industries. Will this partnership see them gain greater influence in the marketplace? And more importantly, will it improve networking experiences for users?

FLEXIBILITY - One of the most common connectivity frustrations is managing capacity. Demand is never constant, whether in private or public settings. How much capacity to build in is always a big question. Too much and it’s a waste. Too little and anything above average, such as major events, that’s when things really grind to a halt.

LATENCY - Being able to optimize networks can help reduce bottle necks and free up capacity. This is an area where AI is deemed to offer huge value. With AI monitoring networks, it’s able to analyze performance, improve latency, identify problems, and create a fix in a relatively short space of time. This can help boost capacity when needed and improve networking service delivery. 

SECURITY - Keeping networks secure is an increasingly impossible task. Constant monitoring and continual updates have become a necessity. Naturally, AI automating these tasks can improve security. However, it mustn’t be forgotten that threat actors are also using AI to their advantage – constantly scanning for vulnerabilities that they can exploit.

COMPLEXITY– Network demands are increasing especially in terms of offering advanced capabilities. This is making network management more complex. The ability to automate different tasks and oversee them from a central console offers significant advantages.

5G has already madre progress in addressing these challenges, and yet it’s taken almost half a decade for 5G infrastructure to be rolled out. In many areas it’s still lacking. While a future forward approach is necessary in technology, what will 6G offer that will make further upgrades worthwhile?

It seems the focus remains on the same challenges: capacity, latency, security, complexity. 6G promises latency that is 1000 times faster than 5G, has increased network capacity and operate via higher network frequencies.  Integration with AI is obviously intended, and with major players such as HPE and Nokia partnering to advance these capabilities, these challenges may become minor issues in future.