5GMEDE

5GMEDE will develop and demonstrate a complete multi-access edge computing (MEC) solution, including a MEC framework, Base Station services and applications to run on top, offering innovative features such as constraint based mobile edge selection or using data analytics to enrich and refine real-time radio network information to improve mobility and enable operators and applications providers to come up with new and improved service capabilities. Performance and eventual gains on energy efficiency of the MEC approach will be evaluated.

MEC is a relatively new paradigm, considered as an enabling technology for 5G. It enables computation and storage capacity at the edge network and therefore its potential to reduce latency in access networks is real. In 5GMEDE, MEC will provide proximity, ultra-low latency, high bandwidth, real-time access to radio network information, location awareness for innovation and value creation. These benefits can be leveraged by applications to create a new value chain, and new revenue streams through agreements with application or content providers. Authorized third-party partners of operators, including application and content providers, can benefit from the radio access network (RAN) edge by promptly deploying innovative services and applications towards mobile subscribers, enterprises and other vertical segments. The project is intended to develop and evaluate the performance and energy efficiency of a MEC framework that will cover system level and host level capabilities as well as enriched real-time radio network information from the base station.

5GMEDE will demonstrate how MEC can minimize latency, reduce backhaul traffic, reduce download times and improve media quality. Along with the demonstration of MEC capabilities and benefits, the final outcome of the project will be a complete MEC solution which includes MEC framework, base station services and MEC applications. The base station services include measuring the energy consumption on multiple Base Station components, from the radio, to the controller or combiner. This will enable detailed energy consumption measurements and evaluating the impact of MEC in base station operation. A test bed will be setup during the project to experiment and develop prototypes.

Along with the product development, effort will be made on standards activities. Since the consortium is very active in ETSI MEC Industry Specification Group (ISG) standardization activities, consortium will try to contribute project results.

5GMEDE will enable operators and third party service providers to come up with new services which as a result not only increase user satisfaction but also generate new revenue streams and save CAPEX and OPEX for the telecommunications ecosystem.