The role of configuration management in 5G evolution

In today's era of relentless consumption, industries; particularly the telecommunications sector continue to push the boundaries of innovation to meet the ever-growing demands of customers. However, while rapid technological advancements and new solutions generate excitement, they often fall short in terms of sustainability. One of the most prominent examples of this today is 5G.

The newest and most sophisticated generation of mobile networks, 5G, has emerged as a response to increasing demands for faster internet, more secure airports, more efficient communication, and highly automated production. Like any groundbreaking technology, 5G has introduced unique requirements that have integrated themselves into our daily lives. But are we truly prepared to meet these demands? Did we successfully navigate the challenges of 4G? With higher speeds and wider bandwidths, the need for automation in network management has become more critical than ever. Effective network management, which has always been valuable, has now become indispensable.

One of the most crucial aspects of network management is configuration management, which has become a top priority for all telecom operators in the 5G era. While some operators have learned from past configuration-related outages, security vulnerabilities, and costly fines—thus focusing on reducing operational costs and ensuring seamless service—many still struggle to master configuration management.

According to Uptime Institute’s “Annual Outages Analysis 2023” report, 18% of all telecommunications outages in 2022 were caused by configuration errors. Furthermore, a global “Uptime Resiliency” survey included in the same report found that approximately 45% of network disruptions in 2023 were due to configuration or change management failures. When asked, “Could major and impactful outages in the past three years have been prevented with better configuration management?” about 72% of the 160 respondents answered yes. These findings underscore the global necessity for effective configuration management in telecommunications.

These outages are far from trivial. For instance, a Japanese telecommunications company reported that a configuration error in 2022 led to a massive 86-hour outage, affecting 39 million users. When evaluated in terms of user-minutes, this resulted in a 201 billion user-minute loss, translating into financial damages exceeding $100 million. Similarly, a major U.S. telecom provider suffered a 12-hour outage caused by a single misconfiguration in one of its networks, impacting millions of users.

Why is configuration management critical in the 5G era?

5G is the generation of speed and zero-interruption. Like its predecessors, it has introduced new concepts and requirements that demand meticulous management. One of the most critical 5G features, Dynamic Network Slicing, heavily depends on effective configuration management. A single misconfigured slice can lead to cross-tenant interference or resource contention, significantly degrading service quality. Likewise, in edge computing—which minimizes latency and optimizes bandwidth—improper configuration management can create performance bottlenecks and even expose security vulnerabilities.

Given the substantial global investments in 5G, even the slightest configuration error can lead to irreversible consequences. This new era of connectivity has little tolerance for mistakes, making proactive and automated configuration management an absolute necessity. By implementing TechNarts' advanced configuration management solutions, Türkiye’s two largest Communication Service Providers (CSPs) have significantly reduced network downtime, improved service continuity, and minimized operational risks. Their success demonstrates the critical importance of seamless and resilient configuration management in modern telecommunications.