NEC Open Networks

4G/5G Converged Core

Features
NEC's 5GC solution
Benefits
Why choose NEC
News

Overview

NEC‘s 5GC features a highly open, cloud-native architecture that enables the use of 4G EPC functions within the 5GC framework. Its multi-platform design is compatible with both on-premises deployments and public cloud environments, offering a proven, high-performance software-based UPF (User Plane Function).

It is a mobile core solution that offers global deplorability, flexibility, compatibility, high performance, and high quality.

Features

NEC's 5GC provides a solution with the following features.

Fully Cloud-Native Converged Mobile Core

NEC 5GC’s architecture is a fully virtualized and containerized microservices architecture.
It supports multi-vendor environments and is not dependent on hardware.

Users can choose from a wide range of platforms, including private clouds, public clouds, and hybrid cloud environments. Multiple deployment architectures can be selected based on business needs.

NEC UPF also supports deployment on AWS Outposts, expanding cloud utilization options while respecting operators’ existing network designs and operational practices. Through seamless integration with managed services provided by AWS, it enables efficient cloud utilization while maintaining compatibility with existing environments.

Flexible UPF Local/Edge Model

By separating the C-Plane and U-Plane (CUPS), it becomes possible to design UPF in various deployment patterns, ranging from centralized aggregation to local edge. This realizes a flexible and highly scalable network architecture that meets service requirements and traffic characteristics.

NEC UPF, with its distinctive features of high performance and small footprint, enables coexistence with the functionalities required for the requirements and use cases demanded in edge environments.

As a result, it achieves both the required service performance and reduced power and space consumption, contributing to more efficient edge deployments, including Private 5G, and accelerating business growth toward the 5G-Advanced and 6G era.

4G EPC available on the 5G Core

Seamless migration from 4G to 5G is supported in both NSA (Non-Standalone) and SA (Standalone) architectures.

NEC 5GC provides a unified, consistent interface for the maintenance and operations of both 4G and 5G networks. It handles 4G/5G traffic comprehensively and can flexibly distribute resources according to the traffic ratio of 4G/5G.

Proven Software UPF Performance

The UPF is software-based and available on general-purpose servers.

Software-based architecture provides high adaptability to the evolution of hardware. This allows for the continuous delivery of high-performance UPF solutions.

It supports both 5G UPF functions and the U-Plane for 4G Gateways.

The diagram illustrates the network functions (NFs) supported by NEC's 5G Core (5GC).
It comprehensively covers essential areas indispensable for the deployment and operation of 5G services, including core functions such as mobility control, session control, and the user plane, as well as cell broadcast and positioning services.

Additionally, NEC 5GC features Converged functionality, enabling the unified processing of both 4G and 5G traffic within a single software solution. This feature enables a simple and gradual transition from the existing EPC system to 5G infrastructure.

All NFs are delivered as containerized microservices and have been rigorously tested across Kubernetes, OpenShift, and major cloud platforms including AWS EKS. Designed for flexibility, they can be deployed across a variety of environments—on-premises, private cloud, public cloud, and hybrid cloud configurations—allowing for network designs that range from centralized to edge-distributed, tailored precisely to customer requirements.

By combining with the Network and Cloud Native Orchestrator, we automate and streamline every stage of network deployment and operations. Furthermore, by leveraging Agentic AI, we transform traditional workflow-based automation into intent-driven autonomy, delivering this as “SI Modernization.” As one example of these initiatives, NEC has established a technology that leverages AWS’s AI tool “Kiro” to autonomously execute the entire lifecycle of the UPF—from design and deployment to operational monitoring, anomaly detection, and automated recovery. Traditionally, network operators would manually carry out tasks from network design to the initial service launch, which would take several weeks. However, by embedding NEC's expertise in network design and operation, cultivated in commercial networks, into AI, this period can be dramatically shortened to just a few hours.These solutions enable operators to rapidly launch services and achieve stable operations without relying on highly specialized expertise or extensive human resources. NEC will further sophisticate the autonomy of networks as the foundation for solving social issues in the 6G era. In the upcoming 6G era, where all devices and services will be continuously connected, mobile networks will further increase their importance as critical social infrastructure, alongside electricity and transportation.NEC is looking ahead to such times and aims to realize next-generation networks that feature resilience to reliably support critical communications even during disasters or failures, an architecture that can be flexibly selected and expanded according to applications and requirements, and AI-native intelligent operations. By intelligently optimizing and controlling network resources with AI, operators can more flexibly and quickly design, deploy, and operate networks that meet increasingly diverse and sophisticated demands.NEC will support the evolution of autonomous network infrastructures required in the future 6G era by continuous advancement of capabilities across the entire lifecycle—from design and deployment to operations—.Thorough these initiatives, NEC will contribute to the development of a digital society with high reliability, enabling not only consumers but also businesses and municipalities to use its services safely and securely.

NEC's 5GC solution

Benefits of the 5GC solution

Profitability

Creation of New Revenue Opportunities through High-Value Services

Expectations for mobile networks have evolved from merely providing connectivity to generating revenue through advanced services. The DPI (Deep Packet Inspection) capability integrated into NEC UPF identifies the types of traffic and applications, enabling prioritization of bandwidth for specific applications and the implementation of flexible pricing policies.

Improving Profitability through Enhanced User Perceived Quality

Mobile networks consist of various interconnected networks—such as RAN, transport, and core networks—that collaborate to provide communication services. These networks face the risk of declining user perceived quality due to differences in network speeds and congestion conditions. In particular, within RAN, fluctuation of radio waves and the density of users within the area can cause deterioration in communication quality.

NEC‘s TCP Optimization enhances profitability by intelligently controlling the density of data sent from the core network in response to RAN congestion conditions. This optimization improves RAN resource efficiency, helps reduce investment in base stations, and enhances users’ service experience. As a result, it contributes to the financial performance of telecom operators.

Scalability to Address Demand Fluctuations and High Business Continuity

Preparing for natural disasters and sudden traffic surges requires ensuring the flexibility and availability of networks. NEC‘s 5GC, with its hybrid cloud architecture, enables rapid utilization of cloud resources to restore services during disasters and dynamically adjusts resources during normal operations based on demand fluctuations. This features strengthen business continuity while enabling efficient resource utilization.

Building an Open and Flexible Network

With growing interest in open network architectures, multi-vendor system configurations have become a key requirement. NEC's 5GC offers platform flexibility, allowing for optimal utilization of existing infrastructure. It reduces dependency on specific vendors, enhancing both the scalability of services and operational flexibility.

Scalability

Automated Network Management

To address labor shortages and rising operational costs, the demand for automation in operations is surging. NEC’s 5GC minimizes human intervention in both on-premises and cloud environments. It not only reduces operational costs but also helps prevent human errors.

Power Efficiency for Reduced Environmental Impact

Increasing environmental awareness and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) reduction are critical challenges in network operations. NEC supports both ARM processors and Intel E-core-based CPUs to significantly reduce the number of 5GC servers and power consumption. This approach lowers environmental impact while optimizing electricity costs.

Simplified System Architecture

NEC's UPF can be operated on a streamlined infrastructure system—NEC Cloud Platform (NCP)—which integrates hardware monitoring and control functions, as well as lifecycle control, configuration management, fault monitoring for NFs. Compared to complex configurations involving multiple systems, this simplification enables significant reductions in operational costs.

Efficiency

Why choose NEC?

Extensive Experience and Proven Track Record in Communication Infrastructure

Since the era of switching systems, NEC has been providing products and solutions to support communication infrastructure. The cloud-native 4G/5G Converged Core is backed by over 25 years of experience in the mobile packet core domain and has proven its reliability in commercial deployments by telecom operators with tens of millions of subscribers. Leveraging this deep knowledge and experience, we offer optimal network environments tailored to our customers' needs.

Strong Problem-Solving Capability Through Integration with the Enterprise Domain

Beyond its expertise in the network domain, NEC holds deep knowledge and a wealth of experience in the enterprise sector. This cross-domain understanding enables rapid identification of issues and the provision of accurate, effective solutions. From the perspective of enterprise users leveraging communication infrastructure, we provide strong support to our customers in deploying and optimizing their networks.

Flexible Solutions to Meet Diverse Needs

NEC’s 5GC adopts a microservices architecture powered by virtualization and container technologies, offering multi-platform support across on-premises and public cloud environments. This enables flexible integration into various environments. Furthermore, NEC itself develops and owns the major software features, allowing for the disclosure of product information and localization support. With continuous enhancements in features and performance, we contribute to reducing costs and driving revenue growth for our customers.

March 4, 2025 Blog NEC’s 4G/5G Converged Core AMF Certified on Dell Infrastructure Blocks
December 11, 2022 Blog
NEC Converged Core Network Functions Certified by the VMware Ready for Telco Cloud Program.
July 26, 2022 Blog NEC and SS8 Certify Trans-Pacific Lawful Interception
July 22, 2022 Blog Building the Converged Core for the Future
Video NEC and Netcracker Orchestrate 5G Services on AWS
June 25, 2021 White Paper NEC's UPF maximizes 5G value with high performance and flexibility in containerized, virtualized or physical deployments
May 10, 2021 White Paper NEC's Cloud Native Mobile Core Blueprint to 5G Innovation

Latest news

March 2, 2026: DOCOMO and NEC Launch Japan’s First Commercial 5G Core on AWS, Built with World’s First AI-automated Network Construction Technology
February 27, 2026: NEC Strengthens Its Edge Portfolio for the 6G Era, Enabling Efficient Edge Deployment and Integration with Cloud Services
February 27, 2026: NEC Demonstrates Agentic AI–Driven Autonomous Network Operations in Collaboration with AWS
March 6, 2025: NEC improves the energy efficiency and floor space density of 5G Mobile Core systems
February 22, 2024: Clear Mobitel Successfully Deploys NEC 5G SA Cloud Native Core Network to Accelerate the Adoption of Innovative 5G Solutions in the UK and the Channel Islands
February 22, 2024: NEC UPF Achieves Industry-Leading High Performance in 5G Core Networks, reaching 1.3Tbps Throughput
February 21, 2024: NEC, Arm, Qualcomm, Red Hat, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise demonstrate Open vRAN and 5G Core UPF using Arm-based CPUs
February 20, 2024: NEC launches new User Plane Function (UPF) product for telecom operators, aiming to achieve networks for the Beyond 5G/6G era
February 22, 2023: DOCOMO and NEC Complete Designing Carrier-grade, Hybrid Cloud, Redundant 5G SA Core Leveraging AWS, along with Successful Onboarding and Testing of 5G User Plane for Edge
February 21, 2023: NEC collaborates with Intel to achieve market-leading low power consumption in 5G core network UPF to support green networks
September 29, 2022: NTT DOCOMO and NEC Reduce Power Consumption for 5G SA Core by an Average of 72% using AWS Graviton2, followed by a Successful Onboarding of 5G SA Core on Hybrid Cloud
March 1, 2022: NTT DOCOMO and NEC are Onboarding 5G SA Core Using Energy-efficient and High-performance AWS Cloud Computing Services
March 1, 2022: NEC and SS8 Conduct Interoperability Verification of 5GC and Lawful Interception Solution
February 25, 2022: NEC adds advanced billing capability to its Converged Core, enabling flexible monetization opportunities for MNOs in B2B and B2B2X services
February 22, 2022: NEC's Cloud-Native Converged Core Reaches General Availability
December 22, 2021: NEC contributes to NTT DOCOMO's 5G standalone (SA) services launch with packet core
June 30, 2021: NEC and Netcracker Orchestrate Cloud-Native 5G Core Services on AWS
June 25, 2021: Rakuten Mobile, NEC and Intel demonstrate industry-leading performance in containerized 5G Core lab trial
November 4, 2020: NEC selected as a vendor for NTT DOCOMO's Standalone 5G mobile core

Cloud-native 4G/5G Converged Core: Network Solutions