NEC deployed a charging gateway function developed by subsidiary Netcracker for NTT Docomo’s standalone (SA) 5G network to process billing information, a move the vendor stated enabled fast provisioning and launch of new services.

The gateway connects Docomo’s NEC-supplied SA 5G core network to its BSS for customer administration and billing.

NEC said operators are demanding packaged products that can flexibly support new offerings as the range of services running on 5G networks becomes more diverse.

Netcracker used a DigitalRoute product which can organise large amounts of billing information generated by each service. It is designed for high-traffic processing for more efficient billing, NEC stated.

In 2020, Docomo’s parent company acquired a near 5 per cent stake in NEC and forged an R&D alliance covering next-generation network technologies.