The long-term vision of 5G includes network slicing–using virtualized network functions and software-defined networking (SDN) to enable operator networks to automatically create service-specific data pipes that precisely meet the needs of a particular application. Enterprise users get the ability to quickly deploy new services and operators make the most efficient use possible of network and spectral resources.
While the vision of network slicing is still some ways off, the addition of increasingly advanced SDN solutions to data centers around the world demonstrates the incremental progress toward the ultimate goal.
