Wedoany.com Report on Feb 27th, Ericsson and global network testing leader Ookla recently jointly demonstrated an innovative technology capable of precisely measuring and verifying the performance of 5G network slices. Against the backdrop of accelerating commercial deployment of 5G-Advanced (5G-A), this collaboration aims to address the industry pain point of network slicing being "deployable but difficult to quantify," ensuring that the quality of service (QoS) across different application scenarios is perceivable, verifiable, and guaranteed.
Slicing Technology Moves from Concept to Commerce, Measurement Becomes a Key Bottleneck
Network slicing is one of the core capabilities of 5G, allowing operators to carve out multiple virtual logical networks on the same physical infrastructure, providing customized services for different businesses such as ultra-low latency gaming, 8K video streaming, industrial IoT, and emergency communications. However, whether slices can deliver on their performance promises has long lacked end-user-facing verification methods.
Ookla points out that with the arrival of the 5G-A era, network slicing is transitioning from technical testing to commercial operation. Effectively measuring and verifying slice performance has become a necessary prerequisite for ensuring user experience quality. The collaboration with Ericsson is precisely intended to fill this gap.
Speedtest App Can Identify Slices in Real-Time, Verify SLA Fulfillment
Through joint testing, Ookla's Speedtest application can now identify specific 5G network slices and verify the execution of Service Level Agreements (SLAs) in real time. This means that both consumer and enterprise users can intuitively confirm whether the premium connectivity service they pay for is being delivered as promised. Operators can also optimize slice configurations based on data to improve operational efficiency.
Ookla Senior Advisor Tibor Rathonyi stated in the press release: "Network slicing is no longer a future concept; it is a commercial reality. However, you cannot manage what you cannot measure. Our collaboration with Ericsson is a critical first step in providing transparency to demonstrate the value of these premium 5G services for consumers and businesses."
Industry Validation Accelerates: From Lab to Live Network
The application potential of network slicing has been validated in multiple scenarios. Last summer, Google Fiber and Nokia successfully completed a demonstration at the GFiber Labs: two PS5 consoles connected to the network via a Nokia Optical Line Terminal. The results showed that before activating the network slice, the game experienced significant latency, stuttering, and pixelation issues; after activating the dedicated slice, the game ran smoothly again, proving the slice's ability to guarantee real-time interactive applications.
Furthermore, Ookla's "State of Mobile Alliances" report for the second half of 2025, released at the end of last month, showed that the 5G quality ratings of major operators have improved, reflecting the continuous evolution of overall network capabilities.
Outlook: Slice Measurement May Become Standard for 5G-A Commercial Deployment
As slicing technology moves from the lab to commercial networks, measurement and verification capabilities are becoming key enablers for operators to fulfill SLAs and drive the adoption of industry applications. This joint demonstration by Ericsson and Ookla provides a quantifiable quality assurance tool for the large-scale commercial deployment of high-value services in the 5G-A era.
