5G networks will provide much higher speeds, lower latencies, and new levels of reliability and overall network performance and efficiency compared to previous generations. Importantly too, 5G can be an important tool for productivity and enabler for digital transformation in many vertical industries. With the rapid growth in application types, such as augmented reality, virtual reality, autonomous driving, smart factory, 5G networks must become smarter, more flexible and more tailored to vertical customers’ requirements.

As a key innovation in 5G technology, network slicing provides agile and customizable capabilities that allow the efficient construction of service guaranteed dedicated networks for different applications. By adapting the 5G network to different business needs, network slicing has the potential to open up new technological and business opportunities for both the ICT industry and other vertical industries. The members of the 5G slicing association will closely collaborate to realize the full potential together. The main activities of the association include:

• Development of an industry-wide, technical understanding for slicing
  
• Study and definition of slicing use cases for diverse industries and derive requirements
  
• Orchestrate end-to-end slicing SDOs (Standard Developing Organizations) and provide inputs to related standards
  
• Fostering of business-driven slicing test beds and trials
  

Prof. Dr. Thomas Magedanz, director of the business unit Software-based Networks, says: “We are happy being part of it as independent digitalization experts knowing the different industries since a long time and recognizing a strong market need to bring the different players to a single table. We hope to see many more verticals joining the Association in the near future in order to shape the 5G infrastructure and various ecosystems in the right way.”

The 5G Slicing Association is a global association and welcomes more partners who are engaged in the action of digitalization of industries, including the ICT industry, vertical industry and even the broader eco-system and value chain. The 5G Slicing Association is closely working together with the GSMA Network Slicing Taskforce (NEST) which is prepared to bring the requirements into the standardization.