exponentially more complex to operate and manage! When we add distributed clouds, heterogenous networks, the 10X densification of RAN sites, meshing and integrated multi-supplier technologies to the mix, we introduce even more complexity, driving up the timescale and cost. The accelerated worldwide deployment of 5G networks drives a radical change in the way networks and services are created, orchestrated, and managed. Evolution toward zero-touch and full end-to-end network and service automation has become an urgent necessity to manage this complexity and deliver services with agility and speed, while adapting, assuring, and ensuring the economic sustainability of the highly diverse service portfolio. 

The ultimate target is to achieve the highest degree of automation, ideally 100 percent, while enabling fully autonomous operation driven by high-level business goals and policies. The autonomous networks will be able to self-manage and self-organize (configuration, healing, assurance, optimization, and so on) without human intervention beyond the initial transition of the business intents.

Figure 2: Closed loop example

Realizing this vision requires a novel end-to-end architecture framework and enablers designed for self-management, near-real-time closed-loop automation and optimized for data-driven analytics. Advanced machine-learning algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) will be essential tools to deal with the complexity and the diverse services.

ETSI ZSM and new specifications

The ETSI ZSM (Zero-touch network and Service Management) group was formed in December 2017 with the goal to define a future-proof, end-to-end operable framework and solutions and key automation technologies to enable agile, efficient, and