Abstract
Network slicing is expected to be critical in the deployment of 5G mobile networks and systems. On top of a single physical infrastructure, the technology enables operators to operate several virtual networks. As the 5G commercialization was recently deployed, network function virtualization (NFV) and software-defined networking (SDN) will drive network slicing. In this article, we present an overview of SDN in 5G, and the motivation, role, and market growth of network slicing. We then discuss usage scenarios of SDN in network slicing for 5G. The proposed architecture comprises the three usage scenarios: enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) provides the support to varying types of services used; ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC) provides a certain class of applications such as higher bandwidth, high definition video streaming, mobile TV, and so on; massive machine type communications (mMTC) throws light on the types of services used to connect huge numbers of devices. Finally, challenges and solutions based on network slicing in 5G are presented.