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Analyst says T-Mobile “security slice” seems like a reasonable use of the technology.
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The system can offer a slice for 5G SA IoT devices (if you can find any!) and security software for non-compliant devices.
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The security slice is intended for use in government and enterprise networks
Surprise! Self-professed 5G “slice denier” Disruptive Analysis analyst Dean Bubley is coming round to at least one of T-Mobile’s proposed initial 5G slice use cases.
The analyst said on LinkedIn that one of T-Mobile’s suggested use cases, a “security slice” and a special SIM for secure access service edge (SASE) connections for government and enterprise networks, “seems like a reasonable use of the technology.”
“It uses 5G standalone (SA) and orchestration to put device data traffic through extra network security functions like firewall, content filtering and anti-malware,” the analyst stated. “It's basically a private Access Point Name (APN) [gateway] on steroids.”
Bubley thinks that “the main SASE approach is to use an installed client, which can be used on any network, sliceable or not, whether it's T-Mo 5G or someone else's infrastructure.”
So, if you have a 5G IoT device, this could get a slice, otherwise devices will use conventional security software, Bubley said. Silverlinings aksed the analyst how many 5G IoT devices are actually out in the wild right now.
“Very few 5G IoT devices - especially ones that support SA,” he said via email. “Most obvious is probably mobile gateways for vehicles (e.g. trucks, police cars, buses). Also some cameras and general modules that can be added to other larger products.”
He noted that installation of SASE and slicing software will be done by the operator solutions teams or possibly commission contractors or integrators.
The security angle is just one way T-Mobile is looking to slice its 5G network. In August, the operator launched a 5G network slicing beta for developers, initially targeting applications around video calling for real‑time critical communications.
It's not yet clear whether or how much network slicing efforts will pay off. Following the August announcement, one analyst noted that since the beta will not span the entire network, developers could be left with a limited addressable market.
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