Singtel, Ericsson enable Network-as-a-Service for telcos and enterprise

Ericsson and Singtel have signed a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) to offer a self-service, API-enabled, zero-touch and real-time solution for ordering, provisioning and assuring communications services via Singtel’s award-winning all-in-one orchestration platform for 5G edge computing and cloud services, Paragon, and Ericsson’s Service Orchestration and Assurance.

Communication Service Providers (CSPs) globally can use the cloud-native solution to modernize and simplify the ways to provision new wireless communications services like network slicing and service assurance for enterprise customers, leading to new monetization opportunities for telcos.

Currently, manual provisioning of network services by CSPs is the norm, with a self-service option seen as too complex or costly to develop. The combined solution will enable enterprise customers to order and manage their own communications services through Singtel’s Paragon platform in a low-friction environment where requests are immediately executed in the network via Ericsson Service Orchestration and Assurance. Developed under the principles of being modular and extensible, the solution is also automated to ensure it fits a wide range of use cases and network changes, works effectively with diverse topologies in CSP networks, and can support hybrid, complex or multi-vendor environments.

Mats Karlsson, Head of Solution Area Business and Operations Support Systems, Ericsson, says: “Breaking through challenges experienced by enterprises and CSPs alike when it comes to the creation and adoption of new and valuable 5G-enabled services is a clear priority in the global telecoms market today. We see in this collaboration with Singtel the potential for greatly increased interest, uptake and profitability of 5G services for enterprises. Singtel’s innovative, multi-faceted Paragon platform and Ericsson Service Orchestration and Assurance are complementary components that, together, offer the perfect combination in answer to many of the adoption challenges we see holding enterprises and CSPs back, and we look forward to working with the ecosystem and early adopters to perfect the ideas and capabilities represented in the MoU.”

Manoj Prasanna Kumar, Chief Technology Officer, Singtel Digital InfraCo says: “Singtel’s Paragon platform has enabled transformation for many telcos and put them in a lead position in their markets, to roll out next-generation enterprise applications and services. We are glad to have the strong support of many technology partners and now a global network leader Ericsson in the Paragon ecosystem. This strategic partnership between Ericsson and Singtel bringing together Singtel’s Paragon platform and Ericsson Service Orchestration and Assurance, will strengthen the joint value proposition and make it easier and faster for Telcos to rollout their 5G, edge and network API use cases. The combined offering will enable seamless roll out of Paragon’s advanced network and edge capabilities to global CSP's to enable them monetize their infrastructure rapidly.”

The Paragon platform will feature a self-service portal or API catalogue for enterprise customers to order and manage their dedicated and distinctive 5G-enabled services including management of the connectivity lifecycle and quality of service, analytics on consumption and performance of connections, as well as an autopilot engine to automate the management of connectivity consumption and performance of individual connections. Ericsson Service Orchestration and Assurance, along with its associated consulting and delivery services, will manage the provisioning of network profiles and subscriptions, life-cycle management of network slices and reporting of assurance metrics to demonstrate service performance. Individually, the components have proven effective at scale with CSPs around the world in reducing network creation times (sometimes to minutes instead of days) while helping to generate new revenues and reduce operations costs.

The solution conforms to the TM Forum Open Digital Architecture and utilizes industry-standard APIs including TM Forum Open APIs. The use of standardized APIs ensures seamless communication and integration between the two products and facilitate the exchange of service orders, service catalog entities, topology, and inventory information. Both Ericsson and Singtel are major drivers of industry fora including O-RAN, GSMA, 3GPP, CAMARA, Bridge Alliance and TM Forum.