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Next-Gen BSS evolution
for 5G networks and IoT

Ashutosh Shukla
11 Jul 2022
capgemini-engineering

Previously, Business Support System (BSS) software was used to support a specific set of use cases and was designed as monolithic packages. In the future, 5G and IoT will allow Communication Service Providers (CSPs) to offer many critical use cases, which demand that BSS infrastructure will be automated from both the front-end and back-end.

This is essential given that service providers will be working with several different industry verticals and seamlessly onboarding a high number of partners to monetize their 5G and IOT investments. With 5G demanding more automation to manage volume and scale, the BSS system needs to offer flexible, agile, and simplified management. The CSP-as -a-platform vision is that partners will be able to self-design and order services on the platform, with all necessary network fulfillment, security, policy, charging, billing, and customer interaction provided as required. To accomplish this, CSPs must digitize their existing BSS. Applying a microservices approach to BSS combined with DevOps practices is the best way to achieve this transformation. A microservices architecture decomposes a monolithic application as a set of small autonomous services that are independently deployable. Each microservice executes on its own process and is designed to achieve a single business capability which provides the flexibility to offer different use cases in a short time.

Evolved BSS enhancements and new capabilities provide the opportunity for operators to develop new business models and services for 5G and IoT. Along the way, this journey opens up substantial new revenue streams in verticals such as industrial automation, security, health care, and automotive.

Service providers are required to enhance their existing BSS with cloud native and microservices architecture, along with an IT-based 5G core network. This transformation will not only help operators achieve agility, flexibility, and scalability, but also derive granular insights, which can be leveraged to deliver a superior customer experience and enable new business streams.