The flexibility 5G enables requires a similar level of flexibility in the underlying network infrastructure. Proprietary, single-purpose hardware is giving way to general-purpose hardware running virtualized network functions. This allows operators to lower capital and operational expenses while also gaining dynamacy in capacity provisioning, spectral resourcing and service management.
As these networks become virtualized, with functionality moving into the cloud, the way they are operated is also changing. The sheer complexity of a distributed architecture processing a huge volume of data produced from myriad sources requires automation.
