Nokia Networks has unveiled a new network architecture that is programmable and aimed squarely at whatever 5G turns out to be. Drawing extensively on concepts like NFV and SDN, Nokia is claiming this offers operators a Network-as-a-Service model.

5G, we’re told, won’t be a whole new system, but a collection of independent component parts. Nokia reckons what’s needed, therefore, is a ‘system of systems’ that integrates and aligns all this distinct moving parts in a programmable way. That’s where the NFV/SDN influence is felt most strongly, the big USPs being efficiency, control and flexibility.

The key architecture features are: network slicing, dynamic experience management (automated QoS), service-determined connectivity, fast traffic forwarding (a telco cloud using Nokia AirFrame servers), and mobility on demand (hetnets, wifi, etc).

“Nokia Networks is leading industry-wide 5G architecture work through various vehicles such as the 5G-Public Private Partnership project 5G NORMA,” said Volker Ziegler, Chief Architect at Nokia Networks. “With our cognitive and cloud-optimized architecture for the 5G era, we have outlined an end-to-end architecture that will allow unprecedented and cognitive customizability to meet stringent performance, security, cost, and energy requirements. It will fuel economic growth through new business models across vertical sectors, such as Network-as-a-Service for other industries to use network functions as they need them.”

Nokia has produced a diagram in an attempt to visually summarise the NaaS concept enabled by this new architecture, which you can expand below. This seems to be a fairly ambitious, extensive project that Nokia will continue to evolve as the 5G picture becomes clearer, but it’s ticking all the right buzzword boxes and positions Nokia among the leaders in 5G thinking, which is clearly the aim.