Google Fiber Teamed Up With Nokia to Pilot Network Slicing. Here’s What That Means for You.

Google Fiber customers could soon have more control over their domestic internet connection. On June 30, Google Fiber announced its partnership with the NOKIA telecommunications company to test the division of the network, a technology that will allow customers to personalize and control their networks more.

So what does that mean? The division of the network is a means for Internet users to create “ways” for specific use of the Internet – it is a means of prioritizing internet traffic without compromising the bandwidth elsewhere. This technology promises many advantages, especially for players prioritizing the low latency.

Google Fiber, product manager, Nick Saporito, told CNET that “the division of the network could give customers more control over how their internet works according to what they do”.

“Instead of treating all traffic in the same way, we explore how customers could devote the bandwidth to the activities that matter most. Think about it as putting your connection in a” player mode “or a” video call mode “that you control.” Saporito said.

Many of the biggest names in broadband, including T-Mobile 5G Home Internet and Verizon, are not new in this technology. Since 2023, these 5G internet internet giants have started working to establish a network stroke for their services. However, this is the first time that we have seen an internet supplier of fibers exploring the division of the network, and once established, it could push the limits of what the Internet fibers has to offer.

Google Fiber did not start testing this technology in its laboratories, so it is still too early to say if it can keep its promise.

Find out more: I think fiber is the Internet stallion. But here’s why I can’t always recommend it

What is the division of the network?

According to Techtarget, the division of the network is a technique that creates many virtual networks in addition to a shared network, allowing more flexibility and control on your network. This technique is often used for 5G technology, which can be divided into different slices, each adapted to meet a specific need. This technology is particularly promising for the 5G Home Internet, because this type of connection often suffers from the congestion of the network. Network slicing allocates the bandwidth and network resources without slowdown in congestion.

According to Verizon, the benefits of cutting the 5G network not only for faster connectivity, but can also support the activation of the Internet of Things in a manufacturing environment. For example, the cutting of networks can help factory workers stay safe by prioritizing autonomous elevator trucks in a factory during an increase in communication traffic.

Each slice of a network can be personalized to have its own safety rules, performance and unique characteristics, which can all be dedicated to different purposes.

Network slicing could improve your domestic internet

“It is not a question of prioritizing traffic behind the scenes, it is a question of giving you more control, more flexibility and more ways to obtain the performance you need,” said Google Fiber in a company press release. Network cutting could optimize your fiber internet connection to meet your different specific high speed needs.

For players, the network cutting could be particularly useful. During laboratory tests, Google Fiber used the game as an example by performing two PlayStation 5 game consoles next to the other and by filling the congestion network. Naturally, the congestion of the network has led to an increase in gap and slower speeds. However, after digging a dedicated track or a specific network slice, the game sequence test worked much better. Thus, launching this technology has led to a more fluid game experience.

In addition to that, the network cutting could improve network safety. According to this press release from the same company, there is a potential for something called “transactional slices”, which “would automatically run, just for a few seconds”. This process would keep secure financial connections, allowing you to connect directly to your bank without rolling the larger internet traffic.

The network slicing could offer these advantages to your internet house:

• Lower offset
• Increased security
• Increased checks on your network

Network and fiber internet

At CNET, we consider fiber as the high speed stallion. Among all the types of Internet connections that we have examined, the fibers lead speed, reliability and overall performance. Fiber Internet also draws a lot of attention, as many internet users at home are generally satisfied with their service.

Throwing the network cutting into the mixture of an already solid internet connection type, like fiber, would probably push the envelope for high speed at home. Take Google Fiber, for example: this ISP promises download and download speeds up to 8,000 megabits per second. In addition, thanks to its fiber optical connection, it offers a low latency, which is crucial for online games. In addition, the higher the latency, the more players can live throughout a game. According to a Liquid Web report, more than a thousand players have been questioned about the effects of latency, and more than 95% complained to encounter latency problems during the games. That said, the network cutting can improve its fiber internet service in the coming years, which is favorable to players.

When can you expect to live this technology?

The division of the Google Fiber network is still in its early trial period, so it is too early to say that internet users at home can take advantage of it.

According to Saporito, Google Fiber has no specific calendar, but it plans to continue working with Nokia later this year to establish this technology through its network.

“Our recent essay was a fundamental step to understand how technology works in a real world scenario. Then we associate ourselves with Nokia to explore how we can integrate this into our network in a evolutionary way … in particular around automation, which is a key requirement to make the slicing practical,” said Saporito.