As with any standardization effort, development of 5G specifications accounted for numerous technology trends and new use cases. Network functions were designed for virtualization and automation to enhance operational efficiency and agility. At the same time, smart devices were in the midst of a steep ascent, and there was clear business value in new applications that took advantage of the optimized service characteristics of 5G, with somewhat cryptic names like Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X), Massive Machine-Type Communications (mMTC), and Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication (URLLC).    \r\n At the intersection of these two trends, one of the concepts that was defined was network slices.   \r\n 5G network slices allow virtualized cellular networks to be configured on the same physical network infrastructure. Each slice is an isolated logical network designed to meet the service level requirements of highly specialized applications.…