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Definitions - Telco Lens

Definitions

The following are common definitions used throughout the Telco Lens:

  • 5G network: The fifth generation of cellular network technology that provides significantly faster data speeds, lower latency, and higher capacity compared to previous 4G networks. 5G enables new use cases around the Internet of Things (IoT), augmented and virtual reality, autonomous vehicles, and more.

  • Network functions virtualization (NFV): The concept of virtualizing network functions previously implemented in proprietary hardware, such as firewalls, load balancers, and routers. NFV allows these network functions to run on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware.

  • Software-defined networking (SDN): The practice of decoupling the network control plane from the data forwarding plane, enabling dynamic, programmatic control of network behavior. SDN provides flexibility and agility in network management and service provisioning.

  • Edge computing: The practice of processing data closer to the source of data generation, rather than in a centralized data center. Edge computing enables low-latency, high-bandwidth applications by reducing the distance data must travel.

  • Intelligent routing: The use of advanced algorithms and real-time analytics to dynamically route network traffic based on factors like congestion, latency, security, and cost optimization.

  • Customer experience (CX) applications: telco applications and solutions that enable an exceptional customer experience, such as self-service portals, chatbots, service assurance dashboards, and customer engagement tools.

  • Cloud network function (CNF): A network function designed and implemented to run within containers, using cloud technologies and microservices architecture.

  • Network function (NF): A functional building block within a network infrastructure, which has well-defined external interfaces and well-defined functional behavior.

  • Virtual network function (VNF): Software implementation of network functions that can be deployed on virtual machines.

  • Control plane: The part of a network that carries signaling traffic and is responsible for routing.

  • User plane or data plane: The part of a network that carries user traffic.

  • Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP): A transport layer protocol that provides message-oriented communication with features for telecommunications signaling.

  • Communications Services Providers (CSP): The network operators which build the networks according to the regulatory requirements and deliver telecommunication services to the users.