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4 MEC in 5G

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Edge computing as an evolution of cloud computing brings application hosting from centralized data centres down to the network edge, closer to consumers and the data generated by applications. Edge computing is acknowledged as one of the key pillars for meeting the demanding Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of 5G, especially as far as low latency and bandwidth efficiency are concerned. However, not only is edge computing in telecommunications networks a technical enabler for the demanding KPIs, it also plays an essential role in the transformation of the telecommunications business, where telecommunications networks are turning into versatile service platforms for industry and other specific customer segments. This transformation is supported by edge computing, as it opens the network edge for applications and services, including those from third parties.

ETSI ISG MEC (Industry Specification Group for Multi-access Edge Computing) is the home of technical standards for edge computing. The group has already published a set of specifications (Phase 1) focusing on management and orchestration (MANO) of MEC applications [2, 3], application enablement API [4], service Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) [5, 6, 7, 8] and the User Equipment (UE) application API [9]. The MANO and application enablement functions contribute to enabling service environments in edge data centres, while the service APIs enable the exposure of underlying network information and capabilities to applications. One of the key value-adding features of the MEC specification is this ability for applications to gain contextual information and real-time awareness of their local environment through these standardized APIs. This local services environment is a flexible and extendable framework, as new services can be introduced by following the API guidelines in [10], when creating new service APIs. And finally, the UE application API lets the client application in the UE interact with the MEC system for application lifecycle management.

5G networks based on the 3GPP 5G specifications [11] are a key future target environment for MEC deployments. The 5G system specification and its Service Based Architecture (SBA) leverage the service-based interactions between different network functions, aligning system operations with the network virtualization and Software Defined Networking paradigms. These very same characteristics are shared by MEC specifications. In addition, 3GPP 5G system specifications define the enablers for edge computing, allowing a MEC system and a 5G system to collaboratively interact in traffic routing and policy control related operations. MEC features together with these complementary technical enablers of the 5G system allow integration of these systems to create of a powerful environment for edge computing. In the following sections of the white paper, we illustrate and explain ways to deploy and integrate MEC in the 5G system. The emphasis of the document is on the opportunities for MEC to benefit from the edge computing enablers of the 5G system specification, and for 3GPP ecosystem to benefit from the MEC system and its APIs as a set of complementary capabilities to enable applications and services environments in the very edge of mobile networks.