Interview with Wang Zhen, deputy general manager of IPLOOK: The 5G private network has arrived, and IPLOOK provides a professional core network

On August 31, the 2021 World 5G Conference (W5GC) officially kicked off in Beijing. With the theme of "5G Deep Cultivation, Integration and Symbiosis", this conference will comprehensively demonstrate the process of 5G application scale, focus on the industrial integration of 5G and vertical industries, and the important role played by 5G in accelerating industrial digital transformation and promoting the transformation and upgrading of social and economic structure.

Wang Zhen, deputy general manager of IPLOOK

Wang Zhen, deputy general manager of IPLOOK of Aipu Road, said in an interview with C114 that the continuous acceleration of the 5G commercial process and the increasingly close integration with vertical industries have given innovative enterprises such as IPLOOK more opportunities, "Under the joint promotion of policies, markets, technology and other factors, the 5G private network has ushered in a new outlet; the iterative update of technology has promoted the continuous change of the private network ecology, and future opportunities and challenges coexist." We actively cooperate with upstream and downstream cooperative manufacturers in the industry to promote a win-win industry ecology, promote technological innovation, and promote the sustainable development of the industry. ”

5G private network ushered in a new outlet

On June 6, 2019, China officially issued a 5G commercial license. With the joint efforts of the industrial chain, China has built the world's largest and most technologically advanced 5G SA network. At the 2C end, China's 5G users exceeded 500 million, and the penetration rate of 5G users exceeded 30%; on the 2B side, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology also issued the "5G Application "Sail" Action Plan (2021-2023)", 5G + medical, 5G + energy, 5G + industrial Internet, more and more 5G industry applications have sprung up.

Wang Zhen pointed out that with the landing of 5G in related vertical industries, 5G private networks are accelerating their development, and the characteristics of 5G networks with high bandwidth, low latency and multiple access have brought new value to users in related industries, and the private network ecology is undergoing tremendous changes.

According to Grandview Research, the global 5G private network market size in 2020 is 920 million US dollars, and the compound growth rate from 2020 to 2027 will reach 37.8%, and the 5G private network market size will grow rapidly with the demand of vertical industry customers.

In Wang Zhen's view, private network communication is a market with great potential, and the iterative update of technology promotes the continuous change of the private network ecology, and only by relying on continuous innovation can we continue to lead the development of the industry. As a professional core network research and development company, IPLOOK will stand on the wave of 5G development, look forward to 6G, seize opportunities and meet challenges.

"The development and application of 5G private networks cannot be achieved overnight, but must be implemented in stages and steadily advanced." From the enterprise side, the construction of 5G private network has a higher upfront investment cost. Under the condition that the potential benefits are not clear, the willingness and progress of enterprises to introduce 5G private networks are slow. The majority of small and medium-sized enterprises are the main driving force for promoting the industrial application of 5G. However, the cost problem is particularly important in small and medium-sized enterprises. In this regard, the state attaches great importance to and vigorously supports the construction of 5G private networks, so that manufacturers such as IPLOOK have more opportunities to promote 5G industrial applications. Wang Zhen said.

The deployment of 5G private networks should be adapted to local conditions

At present, the deployment mode of 5G private network is mainly divided into three types. The first is a completely self-built, vertical industry independent construction of an end-to-end 5G private network from the core network to the access network, completely physically isolated from the operator's 5G public network; the second is a self-built core network, and the operator to build a shared wireless access network; the third is to rent the operator's 5G network slice.

Wang Zhen pointed out that in the early stage of 5G, industry customers are groping to build 5G private networks with partners, and some vertical industries, starting from the requirements of security and physical isolation at the beginning of construction, are likely to be more inclined to build "5G independent private networks". The "dedicated" of the 5G private network can be used separately from the public network and does not interact with enterprise data. Enterprise data can only circulate in the internal network of the enterprise, data security can be effectively guaranteed, and enterprises can run their own APP applications on the "private network" to change the production and office mode of the enterprise. "Enterprise 5G private network is the future trend, customers can choose different scenarios according to their own needs." Enterprises of different sizes and different needs can actually decide on the 5G private network requirements according to their actual situation. Now all walks of life are exploring 5G, whether enterprises build their own networks or not, need a process, in the process of practice will find the required answers. ”

In the deployment of 5G private networks, the core network is in a very critical position. The 5G core network adopts a cloud-native design, and the control surface and user plane are completely separated, so that upF (user plane function) can be deployed in a sinking and distributed deployment, and deployed in the local private network together with MEC, thereby ensuring data security and privacy, and enabling various low-latency 5G applications in vertical industries.

It can be said that the transformation of the core network function and form has given innovative companies such as IPLOOK new opportunities to compete with traditional giants. "Traditional UPFs are fully functional, but the functions and designs are becoming more complex and moving. ToB scenarios need more lightweight, customizable UPF, with strong compatibility, integration, high performance, high stability and other characteristics, and this is iplook's strength, IPLOOK's mission is to 'let customers use the professional core network'. According to Wang Zhen, IPLOOK has a full set of core network access certificates for 4G and 5G miSHA, IPLOOK launched a core network product that integrates 4G and 5G, and a set of core networks support smooth upgrades from 4G to 5G, allowing 4G and 5G users to access the core network at the same time.

Not only the core network, AIPU ROAD IPLOOK can also provide IMS voice system + MCPTT cluster scheduling system, 5G MEC cloud platform (AI/ultra-high-definition video), 5G CPE (5G industrial gateway) and 5G base station, as well as solutions applied to 5G smart campus, smart rail transit, smart energy, smart university, satellite communication and other private network scenarios. "IPLOOK's 5G mobile communication solution is oriented to vertical industries, with the characteristics of cloud native, open, high integration and lightweight, in line with a variety of mobile network access modes, according to the different requirements of customers, Aipu Road IPLOOK products and services a variety of differentiated scenarios, to meet the needs of government and enterprises, private networks and other customers personalized network construction needs."

As a well-known core network supplier in China, Iplook made a wonderful appearance at the exhibition, focusing on the 5G industry private network full-stack products and end-to-end mobile communication solutions; at the same time, Aipu Road IPLOOK also exhibited 5G private network + converged satellite communication solutions, which can provide wireless communication support for remote areas and various emergency communication scenarios, which has received wide attention from the industry.