MTN South Africa has become the first operator globally to go-live with automated In-service Software Upgrade (ISSU) on Ericsson Packet Core Gateway (PCG) node with a collocated Packet Core Firewall.
The modernisation brings a range of benefits to South Africa’s mobile infrastructure including reduced latency, enhanced data throughput, and strengthened overall user experience – providing a more reliable and more seamless connectivity in the country.
As part of the modernisation, MTN South Africa deployed cloud-native Packet Core and user management functions from the dual-mode 5G Core solution on Ericsson’s Cloud Native Infrastructure Solution
(CNIS) in an expedited timeframe in the first half of this year. In addition to the rollout of the new cloud-native functions, MTN South Africa and Ericsson also upgraded a range of other functions that will continue to be hosted on virtualised infrastructure powered by Ericsson NFVI.
The project has delivered significant early achievements. MTN and Ericsson achieved a world-first by completing the first In-Service Software Upgrade (ISSU) of an Ericsson Packet Core Gateway (PCG) node with a collocated Packet Core Firewall. This upgrade took place seamlessly, with no interruption to 2,52-million active user sessions and 40 Gbps of data flowing through the network. The modernisation also delivered the first Ericsson Packet Core Gateway (PCG) In-Service Software Upgrade (ISSU) in the Africa market.
This initial deployment has been expanded with the addition of Ericsson’s cloud-native Cloud Core Policy Controller (CCPC) on its network, further strengthening the partners’ commitment to enabling digital transformation and automation in South Africa and across the continent.
The CCPC, in its first configuration as a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) in Africa, enables MTN South Africa to implement realtime dynamic policies for 5G non-standalone. Additionally, the CCPC supports the Policy Control Function for 5G (PCF) function – ensuring MTN South Africa’s readiness for the introduction of the 5G standalone core.
“As we continue to evolve and digitise our operations, having the right technology foundation is critical,” says Solomzi Mnyaka, GM Network Services Engineering & L2 Support at MTN. “The implementation of Ericsson’s cloud-native Policy Controller and Packet Core Gateway as part of the dual-mode 5G Core solution enables us to respond more quickly to customer demands, launch new services with agility, and simplify our internal processes through automation.
“This partnership reflects our focus on driving innovation while maintaining high standards of reliability and performance for our subscribers,” he adds.
“In line with our #AfricaInMotion vision, we are committed to shaping the future of digital connectivity on the continent,” says Sandile Dhlomo, head of Ericsson South Africa. “With the successful implementation of a massive core network transformation – achieved in record time – and the deployment of our dual-mode 5G Core which includes cloud-native Policy Controller and 5G Standalone-ready Packet Core Gateway on MTN South Africa’s live network, we are supporting its shift toward a fully cloud-native core that is built for scale, resilience, and service agility.”