INNOVATION

Bringing network slicing to the 5G network.

What do you do when your network is congested? Wouldn’t it be nice to have a slice of your own precisely configured to your needs?  
 
Slicing the network is a decades-old concept. It’s only been missing one key feature: the programmability to assign each slice of a network its own performance characteristics, security rules, and logical topology.  
 
We recognized that the software-defined architecture of our 5G Standalone (SA) core held the missing piece. Just as we knew that bringing network slicing to market would be groundbreaking. What we needed was an impactful use case we could deliver nationwide to serve as a model for network slicing and its potential. That’s how our vision of delivering a slice of the 5G SA network to first responders began to take shape.  
 
It took years of work and collaboration with others in the telecom space, but in September of 2024, T-Priority was ready for launch. Priority access to the network now helps ensure the data-intensive applications first responders rely on are connected with the high-bandwidth, low-latency performance they need.
 
It’s a testament to our focus on using innovation and vision to solve real-world problems, not only for our customers but for the public good.
 
T-Priority was just the beginning.

Scenario: optimizing point-of-sale performance at an event.

Network performance is vital to both business outcomes and user experiences. At times, those needs are in conflict.  
 
Take an outdoor music festival, for example. Thousands of attendees are using their cell phones to capture video at the event. Others are queuing up at the concession stands waiting for the lines to move. The issue? Concession workers are trying to process payments, but the high volume of traffic on the network is slowing everything down. 
 
Purchasing a slice of the T-Mobile 5G network for the event allows organizers to connect the point-of-sales terminals of multiple concessions to their back-end payment processing system. Network performance is optimized, payments are processed quickly, and both attendees and concessionaires experience the benefits of network slicing.
 
With network slicing, everyone gets the network performance they need, when and where they need it.

A crowd of people at a live concert capturing and sending videos via their smartphones.

Network slicing today and in the future.

Priority access for emergency services.

Icon Priority access for emergency services

Optimized edge computing services.

Icon Optimized edge computing services

Smart industrial automation.

Icon Smart industrial automation

Ultra reliable telemedicine.

Icon Ultra reliable telemedicine

Expansive sensor networks.

Icon Expansive sensor networks

Connected smart cars.

Icon Connected smart cars

Enhanced video calling.

Icon Enhanced video calling

Expanded event connectivity.

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Real-time sharing of photos and video.

Icon Real time sharing of photos and video

The technology that makes it possible.

5G network slicing requires a Standalone 5G network. The T-Mobile 5G SA network comprises end-to-end 5G hardware infrastructure: Standalone 5G radio access technology, Standalone 5G core, routers, and switches. Software ties together all the hardware components and manages resources across the network.
 
It’s this software-defined architecture that makes it possible to create virtualized logical networks that run on top of the physical 5G network infrastructure.  
 
Each slice of a network, with its performance characteristics, security rules, and logical topology, extends from the point of network access, across the 5G core network, to any endpoint device that supports RAN and core capabilities. Provisioning and management are highly automated and orchestrated to scale as more applications and users acquire their own slice.

Diagram of 5G network slices for gaming, video calling, events, emergency services, and smart cars.
  • In the software-defined 5G SA environment, resources are sliced into virtual segments on the physical network.
  • Each slice is configured for capacity, latency, security, and other parameters to meet the required service levels of the application or user.
  • Access is prioritized for specific slices to ensure that mission-critical applications, like those used by first responders, get the resources they need.

The vision that brought our partners on board.

Developing standalone technology and launching the world’s first nationwide 5G SA network positioned T-Mobile to lead the charge in network slicing. But we couldn’t do it alone.


We shared our vision with other players in the telecom space to bring them on board. We knew that creating a slice for first responders would resonate. It offered a clear way to solve a real problem that impacts everyone—connecting with help when it’s most needed.


The collaboration is ongoing, and so is the innovation. 5G network slicing could soon become a powerful differentiator that drives new use cases for businesses and consumers alike.

Network slicing in action across industries and communities.

Public safety.

We set a wireless standard for public safety with T-Priority, the nation’s first 5G network slice designed specifically for first responders. 

Events and venues.

At the 2024 SailGP event, we deployed an innovative network slice solution by bonding a macro 5G network slice with a portable private network slice to provide real-time data to teams and bring fans much closer to the action.

Video calling.

T-Mobile DevEdge invites developers to create new and better video calling solutions using network slicing—with other applications following soon.

The future of network slicing for consumers. 

It’s easy to see the ways industry and the public sector benefit from network slicing. But what about the consumer?  
 
We envision a hybrid solution being shared between neighbors, or gamers purchasing a slice on demand for release parties. We see smart glasses and other VR/AR-enhanced tech delivering optimal experiences for users who purchase a slicing package. The use cases are limitless. Soon, innovation in network slicing will be driven by consumer demand and constrained only by the limits of imagination.