Accelerating 5G | How does 5G SA Roaming work and what is a SEPP? with Ann Heyse

Speakers: What is 5G Standalone (SA) Roaming; how is it different from launching 3G or 4G , Ann Heyse | Telco Solutions Manager

What is 5G Standalone (SA) Roaming; how is it different from launching 3G or 4G : So from a technical point of view, 5G roaming is quite similar to previous technologies but it also introduces several new concepts that lead to some important differences that mobile operators need to understand. The most important one being that 5G standalone is secure by design. It uses transport layer security (TLS) in the new N32 roaming interface, meaning that certificates are being exchanged between the home network and the visitor network and more particularly between the security edge protection proxy of the home network, the SEPP, and the SEPP of the visitor network. This new network element has a similar function as a DRA in 4G, which was a Diameter Rooting Agent and acts as a kind of firewall for the signaling part. So whenever a subscriber of a particular mobile operator travels abroad and wants to attach to a 5G standalone network, the visitor network and the home network need to exchange these certificates and so they will need to be implemented manually at the start of the roaming agreement and renewed every six months or roaming between these two networks will simply fail. There are different setups possible supported by the GSMA association so the setup that is the fastest and let's say the easiest to manage is when the SEPP is hosted by the IPX provider, like BICS, the integration will be faster, it can be done in three weeks instead of months and the certificate management will be done automatically. It also gives the possibility to add value added services like business intelligence and analytics, but also fraud and security on top of the hosted solution. Another challenge in 5G standalone roaming is that often the mobile users need very low latency and high bandwidth assurance. And so the customers might SLAs in place with their mobile operator, which will also need to be honored when these customers roam abroad. So mobile operators will need to sign new roaming agreements, contracts with their 5G standalone roaming partners to reflect these needs. And then from a billing point of view, traditional top files cannot be used as there are too old fashioned and there's no flexibility to address specific 5G use cases, so they can only be used to invoice traditional voice calls and SMS. So, the next generation of billing will need to be implemented, which is called BCE.