1164 5G Network Slicing for IoT

1165 5G Network Slicing: Virtual Networks for Diverse IoT

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

Understand network slicing concepts and architecture
Design network slices for different IoT service types (eMBB, URLLC, mMTC)
Compare private 5G deployment models for enterprise IoT
Evaluate spectrum options for private 5G networks
Configure QoS parameters for IoT network slices

1165.1 Prerequisites

Before diving into this chapter, you should be familiar with:

5G Device Categories: Device category selection
5G Advanced Overview: 5G evolution timeline
Cellular IoT Fundamentals: Basic cellular IoT concepts

Related Chapters

5G Deep Dives: - 5G Advanced Overview - Evolution timeline - 5G Device Categories - NB-IoT to 5G NR - 5G URLLC and Future - Critical IoT and 6G

Enterprise Deployment: - Private 5G Networks - Deployment guide - Cellular IoT Applications - Use cases

Key Takeaway

In one sentence: Network slicing enables multiple virtual networks with different SLAs to coexist on shared 5G infrastructure, allowing one deployment to serve eMBB video cameras, URLLC industrial control, and mMTC sensors simultaneously.

Remember this: Each slice is like a dedicated highway lane - eMBB is the express lane (high throughput), URLLC is the emergency lane (guaranteed priority), and mMTC is the carpool lane (high vehicle count, moderate speed).

1165.2 For Beginners: Understanding Network Slicing

What is Network Slicing and Why Does It Matter?

The Problem: Different IoT applications have vastly different requirements: - Factory robots need ultra-low latency (< 1 ms) - Video cameras need high bandwidth (50+ Mbps) - Sensors need high density support (10,000+ per km²)

Traditional Solution: Build separate networks for each use case. Expensive!

5G Solution: Network Slicing - create multiple “virtual networks” on one physical infrastructure.

Analogy: Think of it like a highway system: - Physical infrastructure = The actual roads, bridges, tunnels - Network slices = Different lane types on the same highway

Lane Type	Network Slice	Optimized For
Express Lane	eMBB	High speed, high throughput
Emergency Lane	URLLC	Guaranteed access, no delays
Carpool Lane	mMTC	Many vehicles, efficient capacity

Key Benefit: Each IoT application gets exactly the performance it needs without over-provisioning.

1165.3 Network Slicing Architecture

1165.3.1 What is Network Slicing?

Network slicing creates virtual, isolated networks within a shared 5G infrastructure:

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graph TB
    subgraph Physical["Physical 5G Infrastructure"]
        RAN[Radio Access Network]
        Core[5G Core Network]
        Transport[Transport Network]
    end

    subgraph Slices["Network Slices"]
        S1[Slice 1: eMBB<br/>Consumer IoT<br/>High throughput]
        S2[Slice 2: URLLC<br/>Industrial IoT<br/>Low latency]
        S3[Slice 3: mMTC<br/>Massive IoT<br/>High density]
    end

    RAN --> S1
    RAN --> S2
    RAN --> S3
    Core --> S1
    Core --> S2
    Core --> S3

    style Physical fill:#7F8C8D,stroke:#2C3E50
    style Slices fill:#16A085,stroke:#2C3E50
    style S1 fill:#E67E22,stroke:#2C3E50,color:#fff
    style S2 fill:#16A085,stroke:#2C3E50,color:#fff
    style S3 fill:#2C3E50,stroke:#16A085,color:#fff

Figure 1165.1: 5G network slicing architecture with eMBB, URLLC, and mMTC virtual slices

{fig-alt=“Network slicing architecture showing Physical 5G Infrastructure (RAN, Core, Transport) in gray supporting three virtual Network Slices: eMBB slice for consumer IoT with high throughput in orange, URLLC slice for industrial IoT with low latency in teal, mMTC slice for massive IoT with high density in navy. Each slice has dedicated resources from shared infrastructure.”}

1165.3.2 Slice Types for IoT

Slice Type	SLA Guarantee	IoT Use Case
eMBB	Throughput (100+ Mbps)	Video surveillance, AR/VR
URLLC	Latency (<1 ms), Reliability (99.999%)	Factory automation, autonomous vehicles
mMTC	Density (1M devices/km²)	Smart meters, agriculture sensors
Custom	Application-specific	Private IoT networks

1165.3.3 5G Core Architecture for Slicing

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graph LR
    UE[IoT Device] --> gNB[5G Base Station]

    gNB --> UPF1[UPF Slice 1]
    gNB --> UPF2[UPF Slice 2]

    UPF1 --> DN1[Data Network 1<br/>Cloud Platform]
    UPF2 --> DN2[Data Network 2<br/>Edge Server]

    subgraph Control["Control Plane"]
        AMF[AMF]
        SMF[SMF]
        NSSF[NSSF<br/>Slice Selection]
    end

    gNB <--> AMF
    AMF <--> SMF
    SMF <--> UPF1
    SMF <--> UPF2
    AMF <--> NSSF

    style UE fill:#16A085,stroke:#2C3E50,color:#fff
    style Control fill:#E67E22,stroke:#2C3E50

Figure 1165.2: 5G slice architecture with control plane and user plane functions

{fig-alt=“5G slice architecture showing IoT Device connecting through gNB (base station) to separate User Plane Functions (UPF) for each slice, leading to different Data Networks (Cloud Platform, Edge Server). Control Plane in orange contains AMF, SMF, and NSSF (Network Slice Selection Function) for slice management.”}

1165.3.4 Key Network Functions

Function	Role	Slicing Impact
NSSF	Network Slice Selection Function	Chooses appropriate slice for device
AMF	Access and Mobility Management	Manages device registration per slice
SMF	Session Management Function	Configures QoS per slice
UPF	User Plane Function	Routes traffic through slice

1165.4 Private 5G Networks

1165.4.1 Why Private 5G?

Benefit	Description
Dedicated Capacity	No sharing with public users
Custom Coverage	Optimized for specific site
Data Sovereignty	Traffic stays on-premises
Low Latency	Local core network
Security	Isolated from public network
Control	Enterprise manages policies

1165.4.2 Deployment Models

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graph TB
    subgraph M1["Model 1: Standalone Private"]
        P1RAN[Private RAN]
        P1Core[Private Core]
        P1Spec[Private Spectrum<br/>CBRS, mmWave]
    end

    subgraph M2["Model 2: Hybrid"]
        P2RAN[Private RAN]
        P2Core[Shared Core]
        P2Spec[Licensed + Unlicensed]
    end

    subgraph M3["Model 3: Network Slice"]
        P3RAN[Public RAN<br/>Dedicated Slice]
        P3Core[Slice in MNO Core]
        P3Spec[MNO Spectrum]
    end

    style M1 fill:#16A085,stroke:#2C3E50
    style M2 fill:#E67E22,stroke:#2C3E50
    style M3 fill:#2C3E50,stroke:#16A085

Figure 1165.3: Private 5G deployment models: standalone, hybrid, and network slice

{fig-alt=“Three private 5G deployment models: Model 1 Standalone Private in teal (Private RAN, Private Core, Private Spectrum like CBRS), Model 2 Hybrid in orange (Private RAN, Shared Core, mixed spectrum), Model 3 Network Slice in navy (Public RAN with dedicated slice, MNO core, MNO spectrum).”}

1165.4.3 Comparing Deployment Models

Factor	Standalone Private	Hybrid	Network Slice
CAPEX	High ($200K-1M+)	Medium ($100K-500K)	Low ($0-50K)
OPEX	Medium (self-managed)	Low-Medium	Per-device fees
Control	Full	Partial	Limited
Latency	Lowest (all local)	Low	Medium
Data Sovereignty	Complete	Partial	Carrier-dependent
Best For	Large enterprises, critical IoT	Mid-size, mixed requirements	SMBs, testing

1165.4.4 Spectrum Options for Private 5G

Spectrum	Region	Bandwidth	License
CBRS (3.5 GHz)	USA	150 MHz	Light licensing
n78 (3.5 GHz)	Europe, Asia	Varies	Country-specific
mmWave (26-28 GHz)	Global	400+ MHz	Licensed/shared
n79 (4.5 GHz)	Japan, China	100 MHz	Licensed
Unlicensed (5/6 GHz)	Global	500+ MHz	Unlicensed

1165.4.5 Private 5G Cost Analysis

Typical Standalone Private 5G Deployment:

Component	Cost Range	Notes
Small cells (8-12)	$80K-180K	Indoor/outdoor coverage
Private 5G core	$30K-100K	On-premises or cloud
Edge computing	$20K-50K	Local processing
Spectrum license	$5K-50K/year	CBRS, local licensing
Integration	$30K-100K	One-time setup
Year 1 Total	$165K-480K
Annual Ongoing	$25K-75K	Maintenance, spectrum

1165.5 Understanding Check

Knowledge Check

Scenario: A logistics company with a 2 km² distribution center needs connectivity for: - 200 autonomous forklifts (URLLC requirement) - 50 loading dock cameras (10 Mbps each) - 5,000 package tracking tags (location every 10 seconds)

Questions: 1. Should they use private 5G or carrier network slicing? 2. How would you design the network slices? 3. What deployment model fits best?

Auto-Gradable Quick Check

Question: For autonomous forklifts requiring <5 ms latency and 99.999% reliability in a safety-critical environment, which deployment approach is most appropriate?

Explanation: B. Private 5G with a dedicated URLLC slice provides guaranteed latency and reliability. Public 5G cannot guarantee SLAs, Wi-Fi lacks deterministic QoS, and NB-IoT has seconds of latency.

Question: For 5,000 package tracking tags sending location updates every 10 seconds, which network slice type is most efficient?

Explanation: A. mMTC is designed for high device density (millions per km²) with small, infrequent messages - exactly matching asset tracking requirements. eMBB is for high bandwidth, URLLC for low latency.

Question: What is the primary advantage of the NSSF (Network Slice Selection Function) in 5G?

Explanation: C. The NSSF determines which network slice a device should use based on the requested service type, subscription, and network policies.

1165.6 Worked Example: Private 5G vs Public 5G for Logistics Hub

Worked Example: Evaluating Private 5G vs Public 5G

Scenario: A logistics company operates a 2 km² distribution center with: - 200 autonomous forklifts (URLLC: <5 ms latency) - 50 cameras (10 Mbps video streams) - 5,000 package tracking tags (location every 10 seconds)

Given: - Annual budget: $200,000 - Carrier offers public 5G slice at $50/device/month for URLLC - Coverage area: 2 km² (outdoor yard + indoor warehouse)

Steps:

Calculate public 5G slice costs (Option A):

URLLC devices (forklifts): 200 × $50/month × 12 = $120,000/year
eMBB devices (cameras): 50 × $30/month × 12 = $18,000/year
mMTC devices (tags): 5,000 × $5/month × 12 = $300,000/year
Total annual cost: $438,000 (exceeds budget by 2.2×)

Calculate private 5G costs (Option B):

Infrastructure: 8 small cells × $15,000 = $120,000 (CAPEX)
Private 5G core: $50,000 (CAPEX)
CBRS spectrum license: $5,000/year
Maintenance and support: $20,000/year

Year 1 total: $195,000
Year 2+ total: $25,000/year
5-year TCO: $195,000 + 4 × $25,000 = $295,000

Compare capabilities: | Factor | Private 5G | Public Slice | |——–|————|————–| | Latency | 2-5 ms (local edge) | 10-20 ms (carrier core) | | Data sovereignty | All on-premises | Carrier network | | Capacity control | Dedicated | Shared |

Calculate 5-year savings:

Public 5G: $438,000 × 5 = $2,190,000
Private 5G: $295,000
Savings: $1,895,000 (87% reduction)

Result: Deploy private 5G with CBRS spectrum. Year 1 fits budget at $195,000, and years 2-5 cost only $25,000/year. Additional benefits: true URLLC latency for forklift safety, complete data sovereignty, no per-device fees for scaling.

Key Insight: For dense, geographically bounded deployments with URLLC requirements, private 5G often delivers better economics and performance than carrier slices. Break-even is typically 500-1,000 devices.

1165.7 Worked Example: Network Slice Configuration for Smart Hospital

Worked Example: Hospital Network Slice Design

Scenario: A 500-bed hospital needs network slices for: - 200 patient vital sign monitors (99.99% reliability, <50ms latency) - 50 mobile medical imaging devices (100 Mbps per device) - 2,000 asset tracking tags (best-effort acceptable)

Given: - Budget: $75,000/year connectivity - HIPAA compliance required - Carrier offers network slicing with various 5QI levels

Slice Design:

Slice 1: URLLC for Patient Monitors

5QI: 82 (Delay Critical GBR)
Guaranteed Bit Rate: 100 kbps per device
Packet Delay Budget: 10 ms
Packet Error Loss Rate: 10^-5 (99.999% reliability)
Priority Level: 19 (highest)

Slice 2: eMBB for Medical Imaging

5QI: 6 (Non-GBR, TCP-based)
Maximum Bit Rate: 150 Mbps per device
Packet Delay Budget: 100 ms
Priority Level: 60 (medium)

Slice 3: mMTC for Asset Tracking

5QI: 79 (Non-GBR, Low Priority)
Data rate: 10 kbps per device
Packet Delay Budget: 500 ms
Priority Level: 90 (lowest)

Cost Optimization: Pure carrier slicing exceeds budget at $270,600/year. Optimized hybrid approach: - Private 5G for imaging (on-premises DICOM data) - URLLC slice for 50 critical ICU monitors only - NB-IoT for asset tags

Optimized Annual Cost: $136,000 (45% reduction from pure slicing)

Key Insight: Use carrier URLLC slices only for truly life-critical applications (ICU, OR monitors) where contractual SLAs are essential. Handle high-bandwidth imaging via private 5G and use NB-IoT for non-critical tracking.

1165.8 5G vs LPWAN Technology Positioning

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graph TB
    subgraph Title["IoT Connectivity Technology Positioning"]
        direction LR
        T1["Lower Cost / Power"]
        T2["→"]
        T3["Higher Performance"]
    end

    subgraph LPWAN["LPWAN Technologies (Unlicensed)"]
        LW["LoRaWAN<br/>$5-8 module<br/>10+ yr battery<br/>50 kbps max"]
        SF["Sigfox<br/>$6-10 module<br/>15+ yr battery<br/>100 bps max"]
    end

    subgraph Cellular["Cellular IoT (Licensed)"]
        NB["NB-IoT<br/>$3-5 module<br/>10+ yr battery<br/>250 kbps max"]
        LM["LTE-M<br/>$5-10 module<br/>5-10 yr battery<br/>1 Mbps max"]
        RC["RedCap<br/>$15-25 module<br/>1-5 yr battery<br/>150 Mbps max"]
        NR["5G NR<br/>$50-100 module<br/>Days-weeks battery<br/>10+ Gbps max"]
    end

    style Title fill:#f9f9f9,stroke:#2C3E50
    style LPWAN fill:#E67E22,color:#fff
    style Cellular fill:#16A085,color:#fff
    style LW fill:#fdebd0,color:#2C3E50
    style SF fill:#fdebd0,color:#2C3E50
    style NB fill:#d4efdf,color:#2C3E50
    style LM fill:#d4efdf,color:#2C3E50
    style RC fill:#d4efdf,color:#2C3E50
    style NR fill:#d4efdf,color:#2C3E50

Figure 1165.4: IoT connectivity technology positioning from lower cost/power (LPWAN) to higher performance (5G NR)

{fig-alt=“Technology positioning chart showing cost/power versus performance trade-off. LPWAN section shows LoRaWAN and Sigfox for simple telemetry. Cellular section shows NB-IoT, LTE-M, RedCap, and Full 5G NR with increasing capability and cost.”}

1165.9 Summary

Key Takeaways

Network slicing creates virtual networks with different SLAs on shared infrastructure
Three standard slice types: eMBB (throughput), URLLC (latency/reliability), mMTC (density)
Private 5G models: Standalone (full control), Hybrid (shared core), Network Slice (carrier-managed)
CBRS spectrum (USA) enables light-licensed private 5G at 3.5 GHz
Private 5G ROI: Break-even typically at 500-1,000 devices vs carrier subscriptions
Hybrid architectures often optimal: URLLC slice for critical, private for high-bandwidth, NB-IoT for massive

1165.10 What’s Next

Continue exploring 5G for IoT:

5G URLLC and Future - Mission-critical IoT and 6G vision
Private 5G Networks - Detailed deployment guide
5G Device Categories - NB-IoT to 5G NR selection