## 1 Introduction
### Network Slicing  
Network slicing has been proposed to address the diversified service requirements [13]. The basic idea of network slicing is to create multiple virtual networks (i.e., slices) on top of a common physical network infrastructure to provide a flexible, centralised and programmable control and abstraction to the networks as well as eliminating the tight coupling between network functions and specific hardware units. Specifically, a network slice is a self-contained network with its own virtual resources, topology, traffic flow, and provisioning rules which gives the slice tenant the ability to operate its own dedicated physical network. These logical networks are created and managed by observing thedemands of end-users and administrators and then provided to different services to fulfil users' varying communication requirements. Therefore, network slicing is considered as one of the key enablers of 5G systems as it enables dynamic, agile, and scalable networks to respond rapidly to changing business requirements.  
Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Function Virtualization (NFV) are two enablers of the network slicing approach. In particular, SDN separates the control plane from the forwarding plane to offer administrators the ability to configure the network [14]. On the other hand, NFV aims to decouple network functions from physical network resources such as routers, firewalls, etc., and delivers equivalent network functionality without any specialized hardware. In this respect, there are several applications where network slicing could be beneficial:  
1. Autonomous driving: Network slicing supports the performance of autonomous driving by providing mobility management, seamless continuity, and ultra-high reliable and low latency communication between the vehicles and the network, even at high speeds. In particular, creating dedicated slices for this use case can ensure that shared infrastructure absolutely does not cause any negative impact on the service operation [15].
2. Energy consumption: Having a centralized view of network, network slicing can play an important role in promptly and precisely responding to power outages by transmitting and monitoring the critical data and controlling the necessary signals/switches [16].
3. Augmented Reality (AR)/Virtual Reality (VR): AR/VR applications demand extremely low-latency as well as high resolution and bandwidth requirements to construct a virtual environment where people can have real-time interaction. In this respect, a purpose-built network slice may fulfil these heterogeneous performance requirements and ensure minimal processing overheads [15].
4. Industry 4.0: Network slicing is considered a key enabler of industry 4.0 use cases and simultaneously requires latency, reliability, device synchronicity, data rates, seamless mobility, and energy efficiency [16].  
It should be noted that network slicing may also give rise to privacy and security issues [12; 17]. Unlike previous generations, where only mobile operators had access and control over the system components, 5G and beyond networks allow many partners to slice network components for different use cases and vertical-specific blocks. Thus, while designing solutions with network slicing, it is important to ensure the privacy of each user and security of each slice, as well as the overall network to guarantee safe and accurate operations.