NGMN and WBA have joined forces to address the very important topic of RAN Convergence. In this paper NGMN and WBA have highlighted some of the requirements and key challenges that need to be addressed to realize service and network convergence over 3GPP Access and Wi-Fi. As we move into the 5G era with new emerging use cases and URLLC use cases such as autonomous driving and industrial automation, connectivity becomes even more important, together with delivery of a harmonized set of 5G services, whether the access includes Wi-Fi, cellular or both.
This white paper serves as an introduction to the joint Task Force work, that NGMN and WBA members are undertaking. The full whitepaper will provide more detail on some of the challenges outlined in this short paper and will answer the question of why deployments integrating both Wi-Fi and cellular access with the cellular operator core have been so limited to date, and what we as a community can do differently with the launch of 5G to change this. The whitepaper will also present and review potential solutions to these challenges and recommend a future strategy for Converged RAN deployment ensuring the best user experience. To get involved with WBA work or to join the joint task force, contact us
For additional publications, visit the WBA Resource Centre. To participate in future projects, contact WBA PMO
