Ookla and Ericsson Demo Solution for Benchmarking 5G Network Slicing Performance
Network testing firm Ookla, which collects data from consumers via their popular broadband Speedtest.net website and App, has teamed-up with communications technology developer Ericsson to demonstrate an “innovative solution allowing users to measure and validate 5G network slicing performance” via the same app.
Network slicing is a feature of the latest end-to-end 5G Standalone (aka – 5G+ / 5G Advanced) based mobile broadband networks. The feature essentially allows for multiple virtual network slices across the same physical network. Each slice is isolated from other network traffic to give dedicated performance, with the features of the slice typically being tailored to specific use case requirements (online gaming, enhanced mobile broadband, payment processing at big events etc.).
However, until now there hasn’t really been much in the way of independent solutions for validating the Quality of Experience (QoE) that users (consumers and service providers) see when harnessing Network Slicing, which is necessary given how Service Level Agreements (SLA) may apply to such services. Ookla and Ericsson have thus developed a methodology that enables their Speedtest app to identify and test specific network slices in real-time.
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Tibor Rathonyi, Senior Advisor at Ookla, said:
“Network slicing is no longer a future concept; it is a commercial reality. However, you cannot manage what you cannot measure. Our work with Ericsson is a pivotal first step in providing the transparency needed to prove the value of these premium 5G services to both consumers and enterprises.”
The results of this collaboration will debut during Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona 2026. Attendees will be able to visit the Ericsson pavilion, in Hall 2, to experience a live demonstration of a specialized test version of the Speedtest® app, featuring:
➤ Side-by-Side Comparison: Visualizing the performance gap between a standard 5G connection and a service-specific slice within Ericsson’s live 5G network at the venue.
➤ SLA Verification: Real-time reporting on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) within a dedicated slice to prove guaranteed quality of service.
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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Wasn’t 5G itself designed as standalone solution, not wannabe 5G based on 4G? If so, why it is now being called 5G+ or advanced?
Early 5G deployments were Non-Standalone (NSA) networks, which meant they still had some reliance upon existing 4G services. This made it much easier for mobile operators to deploy, and 5GSA kit didn’t mature until later (e.g. quite a few previous gen 5G Smartphones still don’t support it).