The 5G core network (5GCN) rose to public consciousness with the hullabaloo over Huawei’s involvement in the roll-out in some markets, where it has often been confined just to the RAN, on the grounds that it posed less threat to national security there. Whatever the reality of such perceptions, the controversy did focus minds on the critical role of 5G core in meeting many of the promises for new cases and particularly for underpinning network slicing upon which operators are pinning future revenue hopes. The way the 5G core is implemented will be critical for performance and especially satisfying demands for ultra-low latency, as well as security. This had led to increased focus on 5G core among operators and their…