Charging's next phase
Most service providers have not consolidated effectively ahead of 5G. In this paper we explore how charging can become a focal point for convergence, flexible service creation and the evolution of 5G.
Layout canvas
It has never made much sense to most consumers to be charged by the megabyte or gigabit in any event. The value of a light switch or sensor in a lab or datacenter is much different to the same sensor in someone’s shed. Should they be charged the same way?
As 5G-driven services start to grow exponentially and diversify, already burdened 4G monetization environments are, in many cases, likely to break. Many are not Cloud-based and have limited scalability (both up and down) in ways that efficient automation of new services require. Service providers need to consider aspects of charging systems in terms of:
- Ability to consolidate 3G, 4G, 5G, fixed line and various business silos
- Cloud readiness and implications for other 5G functions
- Organizational impacts and capabilities such as DevOps
- Integration with and triggers from other functions
- Prioritized and emerging use cases and flexibility for whatever is to come in 5G
