ETSI Mobile Edge Computing group publishes new specifications

© Flickr/cc-licence/owlnwolf

© Flickr/cc-licence/owlnwolf

  • Group defines the terminology and terms behind MEC
  • Technical requirements for interoperability
  • Reference architecture and framework for mobile edge applications

The ETSI Mobile Edge Computing Industry Specification Group (MEC ISG) has just released three foundation-level Group Specifications which define mobile edge computing terminology, study technical requirements and use cases, and specify the framework and reference architecture of MEC.

Mobile Edge Computing is a critical component of future mobile network architectures, and will be essential to realising the full potential of 5G services, especially and mission-critical, vertical solutions. MEC should enable a myriad of new use cases across multiple sectors and lead to new innovative business opportunities.

It promises to uniquely allow software applications to tap into local content and real-time information about local-access network conditions. By deploying various services and caching content at the network edge, mobile core networks are alleviated of further congestion and can efficiently serve local requirements.

“MEC has created great momentum in the industry and is evolving into a key building block in the evolution of mobile broadband networks, complementing NFV and SDN,” said Nurit Sprecher, Chair of ETSI MEC. TelecomTV will be featuring an exclusive interview with Nurit on the development of MEC in the coming weeks.

The first MEC specification provides a glossary of terms related to the conceptual, architectural and functional elements of Mobile Edge Computing. This will enable consistent use of terminology within ETSI MEC specifications and, beyond the ISG, more widely in industry.

The second document specifies technical requirements enabling interoperability and deployment and describe examples of uses cases of mobile edge computing.

The third specification provides a framework and reference architecture to enable mobile edge applications to run efficiently and seamlessly in a mobile network. It also describes the functional elements and the reference points between them, and a number of mobile edge services that comprise the solution.

ETSI MEC ISG is now working on nine new studies related to APIs, management interfaces and essential platform functionality. In addition, the Group will study mobile edge computing in an NFV environment, and work on end-to-end mobility. Four Proofs of Concept demonstrations have already been showcased to demonstrate the feasibility of the Mobile Edge Computing concept and the value it offers.

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