by Simon Thompson Network slicing is the great hope for a brand new business model for 5G, one that would encourage a wealth of new connected services and revenue streams. Telefonica has been a trailblazer, especially in its cooperations with Huawei, but its latest slicing claims are based on work with a start-up, Netsia. It has demonstrated an end-to-end slice which includes the RAN (the toughest part to slice, especially before 5G) – this could support new service models, and also shows how operators believe the new software-defined telco network will open the doors to a new supply chain full of innovative players and price competition. In network slicing, a virtualized, programmable network would allocate the right combination of resources…