Enea says it has developed the first virtualized data schema that extends 5G Core capabilities to manage 4G network data effectively.
This virtualized schema lets mobile operators harmonize 4G and 5G data models into a single, customizable view that spans from the 5G Core to the network edge, enabling consistent data access and control across generations.
Roland Steiner, Senior Vice President for Telecoms at Enea, explained the motivation behind the work:
“Data is at the heart of 5G and operators need genuine agility to maximise their potential. But network providers have struggled to manage 4G and 5G data on their own terms.
Our virtualised 5G core data management solution gives ownership of data back to operators so they can take back control of their data and their network.”
The schema is a component of Enea’s Stratum Network Data Layer, a telco-grade data platform designed to support new use cases such as edge computing, network slicing, and massive IoT deployments. Stratum is built to interwork seamlessly with existing 4G systems while leveraging 5G Core functions.
Dimitris Mavrakis, Senior Research Director at ABI Research, highlighted the industry context:
“Enea’s Stratum comes at a pivotal moment for operators. Operators want to enter the enterprise market with 5G and use AI and ML to monetise a variety of use cases. Yet 4G/5G centralised data platforms have been a major pain point for operators with proprietary and centralised databases that did not scale.
A growing number of operators including AT&T, Telenor, Telefónica, Orange, and Vodafone have implemented significant upgrades to their data platform strategies.
More operators will deploy virtualised, distributed systems in line with their cloud-native strategies.”
Unlike 5G, which separates data and functions through its Service-Based Architecture (SBA), 4G lacks a standardized approach for decoupled data handling. That difference has often left operators dependent on proprietary systems from infrastructure vendors.
Enea’s open-standard virtual schema, aligned with 3GPP guidelines, aims to remove vendor lock-in by opening the data path and enabling unified management and control of both 5G and 4G data. This approach supports distributed, cloud-native deployments and gives operators greater flexibility to implement AI/ML-driven services and enterprise offerings.
Enea, headquartered in Sweden, was previously listed among innovative companies to watch in 2021. This industry-first announcement reinforces the company’s focus on telco data innovation and the practical challenges operators face during 4G-to-5G transition.
(Photo by mr lee on Unsplash)
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