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How does the 5G Core network ensure service continuity and seamless handover in network slicing deployments?

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The 5G Core (5GC) network is designed to provide enhanced capabilities compared to its predecessors, such as 4G LTE. One of the key features of 5G is network slicing, which allows the creation of multiple virtual networks on a shared physical infrastructure to cater to different use cases with diverse requirements. Service continuity and seamless handover are crucial aspects of 5G network slicing deployments, ensuring a smooth user experience as devices move across different slices or areas within a slice. Let's delve into the technical details of how the 5G Core achieves these objectives:

1. Network Slicing:

  • Definition: Network slicing involves creating independent and logically isolated virtual networks (slices) on a common physical network infrastructure. Each slice is tailored to meet specific requirements such as latency, bandwidth, and reliability.

2. Service Continuity:

  • Session Management:
    • The 5G Core employs a Session Management Function (SMF) responsible for managing user sessions. This function ensures the continuity of services as a device moves across different slices or even between 5G and non-5G networks.
    • The SMF is capable of transferring session context seamlessly between different slices, maintaining the user's ongoing services without interruption.
  • User Plane Function (UPF):
    • The UPF handles the user data plane and plays a crucial role in service continuity. It ensures that data packets associated with a user's session are correctly routed and delivered, even when the user moves across different slices.
  • Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF):
    • The AMF is responsible for handling mobility aspects. It manages the registration of user equipment (UE) and facilitates handovers between different cells or even different slices while maintaining the continuity of the user's service.

3. Seamless Handover:

  • Dual Connectivity:
    • 5G introduces the concept of dual connectivity, allowing a device to be simultaneously connected to multiple cells or slices. This enables seamless handovers as the device can maintain connections to both the source and target cells during the transition.
    • The source cell forwards data to the target cell, and once the handover is complete, the connection to the source cell is released.
  • Radio Resource Control (RRC):
    • RRC signaling plays a crucial role in handovers. The 5G Core uses RRC signaling to manage the transition of a device from one cell or slice to another.
    • The RRC signaling helps coordinate the handover process, ensuring that the target cell is ready to receive the device's connection before the source cell releases it.
  • Dynamic Control Plane:
    • The 5G Core is designed with a dynamic and flexible control plane that can adapt to changing network conditions. This allows for efficient handover decisions based on factors such as signal strength, congestion, and quality of service.

4. Quality of Service (QoS) Management:

  • 5G Core employs advanced QoS mechanisms to guarantee the required level of service for each network slice. QoS parameters are dynamically adjusted during handovers to ensure a seamless transition without compromising service quality.