INFOGRAPHIC
Mobile service providers preparing
to fortify security in anticipation of
5G deployments
ccording to a global survey
fielded earlier in 2019 by
the Business Performance
Innovation (BPI) Network, in
partnership with A10 Networks, mobile
service providers anticipate significant new
revenue opportunities from the coming
deployment of high-speed 5G networks and
a host of new IoT-driven use cases. They
also believe much-improved security will
be essential to realising that potential. The
report, Securing the Future of a Smart World,
demonstrates that carriers are moving
decisively towards 5G commercialisation
and that security is a top concern.
A
• 67% will deploy their first commercial
5G networks within 18 months and
another 20% within two years
• 94% expect growth in network traffic,
connected devices and mission-critical
IoT use cases to significantly increase
security and reliability concerns for 5G
networks
• 79% say 5G is a consideration in
current security investments
“Mobile carriers anticipate significant
revenue opportunities and exciting
new use cases as they move forward
with their 5G deployments. However,
the industry also recognises that 5G
will dramatically raise the stakes for
ensuring the security and reliability of
these networks,” said Gunter Reiss, Vice
President of A10 Networks. “New mission-
critical applications like autonomous
vehicles, Smart Cities and remote patient
monitoring will make network reliability
vital to the safety and security of people
and businesses. Meanwhile, dramatic
increases in traffic rates and connected
devices will significantly expand the attack
surface and scale for cybercriminals.”
crucial issue for the telecommunications
industry. Operators see significant
revenue-generating opportunities and the
chance to innovate.
The top-three benefits derived from 5G:
• 67% – Overall growth in the mobile
market
• 59% – Better customer service and
satisfaction
• 43% – The creation of new 5G-enabled
business models
Top drivers for 5G:
• 60% – Smart Cities
• 48% – Industrial automation and smart
manufacturing
• 39% – High-speed connectivity
• 37% – Fixed wireless
• 35% – Connected vehicles
Assessing 5G security needs
Chief among security concerns are core
network security and DDoS protection.
• 63% saw advanced DDoS protection as
the most important security capability
needed for 5G networks
• 98% of respondents said core network
security was either very important (72%)
or important (26%) in 5G build-outs
• 79% have or will upgrade their
Gi/SGi firewalls
• 73% have or will upgrade their
GTP firewall
New revenue opportunities
and use cases “Operators overwhelmingly understand
the importance of upgrading security
in a more connected and smart world,”
continued Reiss. “Now it’s time to take
decisive action. Carriers need to move
ahead aggressively with their plans to
upgrade legacy DDoS protection and
consolidate security services at the core
and edge of their networks to address the
growing concerns.”
Realising the potential of full-scale 5G
networks requires major investments by
carriers, and payback on that spend is a Surveyed were 145 IT and business
leaders at communications service
providers globally. ◊
www.intelligentdatacentres.com
Issue 12
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