Standardized Slices (SST Values 1-7)- 3GPP Rel19
Let's Understand the 5G NR Network Slicing types with examples upto 3GPP Rel19.
1. eMBB (SST = 1) – Enhanced Mobile Broadband
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Purpose | High data rates, high capacity, and wide coverage for mobile broadband services. |
| Key Characteristics | Peak throughput up to 20 Gbps, moderate latency (~4 ms), high user density. |
| Example | Live 4K/8K Video Streaming at a Stadium During a major sports event, thousands of fans simultaneously stream high-definition video on their smartphones. The eMBB slice is configured with high bandwidth and optimized scheduling to deliver uninterrupted streaming without buffering, even in a congested environment. |
2. URLLC (SST = 2) – Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Mission-critical applications that demand extreme reliability and minimal delay. |
| Key Characteristics | Latency as low as 1 ms, reliability of 99.999%, high availability. |
| Example | Remote Surgery (Telesurgery) A surgeon performs a delicate operation on a patient in a different city using robotic arms. The URLLC slice ensures that every movement command is transmitted with near-zero delay and absolutely no packet loss, guaranteeing patient safety and surgical precision. |
3. MIoT (SST = 3) – Massive IoT
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Supporting a massive number of low-power, low-data-rate devices over a wide area. |
| Key Characteristics | Supports up to 1 million devices/km², extended battery life (up to 10 years), low throughput. |
| Example | Smart City Sensor Network Thousands of environmental sensors (temperature, humidity, air quality, noise) are deployed across a city. They send small data packets infrequently (e.g., every 15 minutes). The MIoT slice efficiently manages the massive number of connections, ensuring all sensors stay connected with minimal power consumption. |
4. V2X (SST = 4) – Vehicle-to-Everything
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Enabling communication between vehicles, infrastructure, pedestrians, and networks for safer and autonomous driving. |
| Key Characteristics | Low latency (for safety messages), high reliability, mobility support. |
| Example | Platooning of Autonomous Trucks A convoy of autonomous trucks travels in close formation on a highway. The lead truck sends real-time braking and acceleration signals to the following trucks via the V2X slice. This ensures near-instantaneous communication, allowing them to brake simultaneously and safely, reducing fuel consumption and improving traffic flow. |
5. HMTC (SST = 5) – High-Performance Machine-Type Communications
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Machine-type communications that require higher performance than standard MIoT, but not as stringent as URLLC. |
| Key Characteristics | Moderate to high data rates, better reliability, low to moderate latency. |
| Example | Industrial Automation (Predictive Maintenance) In a factory, vibration sensors on critical machinery send continuous high-resolution data to a central analytics platform. The HMTC slice delivers this data with consistent throughput and reliability, enabling early detection of equipment wear and preventing unplanned downtime. |
6. HDLLC (SST = 6) – High Data Rate and Low Latency Communications (Introduced in Rel-18)
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Services that simultaneously demand both high bandwidth and low latency. |
| Key Characteristics | High throughput (e.g., Gbps) + ultra-low latency (e.g., 5-10 ms). |
| Example | Cloud Gaming (e.g., Xbox Cloud Gaming, NVIDIA GeForce NOW) A user plays a graphically intensive game hosted on a remote server. The HDLLC slice provides both the high data rate needed for 4K video rendering and the low latency required for responsive joystick controls. The user experiences near-real-time gameplay without lag, even during fast-paced action scenes. |
7. GBRSS (SST = 7) – Guaranteed Bit Rate Streaming Service (Introduced in Rel-19)
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Streaming services where a constant, guaranteed data rate must be maintained throughout the session. |
| Key Characteristics | Guaranteed minimum bit rate, minimal jitter, predictable performance. |
| Example | Professional Live Broadcast (e.g., News Helicopter Feed) A news team broadcasts a live event from a helicopter to a television studio. The GBRSS slice ensures a fixed, guaranteed bit rate is reserved for the uplink. This prevents video compression or frame drops, delivering a stable, high-quality broadcast feed to millions of viewers, even when network conditions fluctuate. |
How Network Slice Selection Works in Practice ?
When a User Equipment (UE) wants to use a specific service, it sends a requested S-NSSAI (SST + optional SD) to the network. The AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) and NSSF (Network Slice Selection Function) perform the following steps:
-
Authentication: Verify that the UE's subscription allows access to the requested S-NSSAI.
-
Selection: Identify the appropriate Network Slice Instance (NSI) that matches the S-NSSAI.
-
Configuration: Route the UE's PDU session through the dedicated Core Network functions (e.g., a specialized UPF) and RAN resources configured for that slice.
This ensures that the user's application is always connected to the right slice with the right performance guarantees.
Looking to be mastery in Network Slicing Concept with Hands On LAB, Follow the Recorded Course:
5G Network Slicing Mastery | EDUNAVO