Ericsson, China Mobile and OPPO Advance 5G Network Slicing With Consumer Connectivity Field Trial

Ericsson, China Mobile and OPPO Advance 5G Network Slicing With Consumer Connectivity Field Trial

(IN BRIEF) Ericsson, China Mobile and OPPO have completed a live commercial field verification of consumer-oriented 5G Standalone network slicing technologies on China Mobile’s network in Dezhou, China. The test validated both User Equipment-level and application-level slicing capabilities designed to provide differentiated connectivity experiences for applications such as livestreaming, mobile gaming, short-video services, and AI-powered smart glasses. The field trial demonstrated significant improvements in network throughput and latency optimization, including reduced lag and faster response times for AI applications and gaming. The project marks an important step in the development of differentiated 5G service assurance and advanced network slicing capabilities for future consumer and industrial applications.

(PRESS RELEASE) STOCKHOLM, 14-May-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Ericsson, together with China Mobile and OPPO, has completed China Mobile’s first live commercial field verification of consumer-oriented User Equipment (UE)-level and application-level network slicing on a 5G Standalone (SA) network.

The test, conducted in Dezhou city in Shandong Province, validated the use of advanced network slicing technology combined with AI-powered service recognition capabilities at the device level to provide differentiated connectivity experiences for consumers across multiple applications and usage scenarios.

The companies described the project as a significant milestone in the evolution of 5G experience assurance and differentiated network services.

The field verification focused on the use of network slicing within China Mobile’s commercial 5G SA network infrastructure. User Equipment-level slicing was used to extend deployment scenarios targeting individual users and devices, while application-level slicing relied on User Equipment Route Selection Policy (URSP) technology to dynamically assign applications to dedicated network slices.

According to the participating companies, the project validated three major areas of network evolution within China Mobile’s 5G SA infrastructure: establishing end-to-end operational processes, building a complete technical verification chain, and demonstrating how application-specific slices can deliver enhanced service quality and optimized user experiences.

The test included multiple consumer and industrial use cases, including uplink livestreaming, short-video uploads and downloads, mobile gaming, and AI-powered smart glasses applications. The system successfully demonstrated fine-grained allocation and isolation of network resources at both user and application levels while improving throughput stability and reducing latency under demanding network conditions.

One of the key demonstrations involved application-level slicing integrated with OPPO’s AI recognition capabilities. During short-video streaming or uplink livestreaming sessions, OPPO devices were able to detect buffering or network stuttering and automatically prompt users to switch traffic to dedicated high-priority network slices for improved connectivity performance.

Combined with radio resource partitioning technologies, the network dynamically prioritized bandwidth allocation to video and livestreaming applications. Under high-load and congested network conditions, the solution reportedly achieved more than double the uplink and downlink performance compared with conventional network operation.

For mobile gaming applications, the field verification demonstrated at least a 30% reduction in user-perceived latency compared with standard network configurations, helping address common gaming performance issues during periods of network congestion.

The companies also tested device-level slicing capabilities for AI-powered smart glasses. In the tested scenario, AI glasses captured images and transmitted them to cloud-based AI agents for real-time object recognition and voice interaction. Because such applications require near real-time responsiveness, the system relied on low-latency network slicing and prioritized scheduling technologies.

According to the companies, average uplink and downlink air-interface round-trip latency for AI object recognition services was reduced by at least 30% compared with conventional mobile network configurations, improving responsiveness for AI-assisted applications.

The partners stated that the technology could eventually support additional use cases such as industrial remote inspections, intelligent tourism guidance systems, and other latency-sensitive AI-driven applications.

Network slicing is considered one of the foundational capabilities of advanced 5G Standalone networks. By creating logically isolated virtual network segments with dedicated performance characteristics, operators can provide differentiated quality-of-service guarantees for specific applications, industries, or user groups.

Ericsson and China Mobile stated that they have collaborated for years on network slicing innovation, scenario testing, and commercialization efforts aimed at expanding large-scale deployment of differentiated connectivity solutions across industrial and consumer markets.

Ziming Ni, Head of Networks Solution at Ericsson China, stated that the field verification demonstrated the ability of the companies’ technologies to address demanding network speed and ultra-low-latency requirements across multiple application scenarios. He added that Ericsson will continue supporting operators in developing differentiated connectivity services that enable new digital experiences for consumers and industries.

Media Contacts:

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Source: Ericsson