Verizon, T-Mobile, Nokia get noisy on network slicing and net neutrality

Network slicing arose as a major topic at this year’s big MWC Barcelona confab. Companies ranging from Ericsson to Telefonica to Nokia promised to create slices of their network that sport “enhanced performance characteristics.”

However, many of those same companies are warning that a renewed push toward net neutrality in the US could stymie such innovations.

“Slicing will be critical to enabling enterprise cases and providing network solutions for many use cases for which a stand-alone, purpose-built network is not feasible,” Nokia wrote of a February meeting between CEO Pekka Lundmark and a variety of top FCC officials, including FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.

“Nokia further noted that slicing can be implemented entirely consistent with core principles of network neutrality,” the company added.

The issue has sparked a blooming debate among wireless companies, consumer advocates and others over whether new net-neutrality guidelines in the U.S. would squash the market for network slicing.

“Network slicing is a promising technology that will help drive exciting network innovation and enable new capabilities and services for the benefit of consumers in ways that previously were only possible over wireline networks,” Verizon told the FCC earlier this month. “Placing unnecessary restrictions on this technology could stifle it in its infancy, to the detriment of consumers and our nation’s leadership position in the mobile economy.”

Around and around

T-Mobile kicked off the debate late last year by warning that network slicing “is a prime example of a cutting-edge technology that could be negatively affected by regulatory uncertainty.” The company further clarified its concerns in a meeting with FCC staff just before the start of the MWC Barcelona trade show last month.

Not surprisingly, the topic of network slicing was widely discussed at the annual event, with companies across the global wireless industry touting slicing as one of the few new 5G technologies that might boost sagging operator revenues.

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