This paper analyzes current standardization situation of 5G and the role network softwarization plays in order to address the challenges the new generation of mobile networks must face. This paper surveys recent documentation from the main stakeholders to pick out the use cases, scenarios and emerging vertical sectors that will be enabled by 5G technologies, and to identify future high-level service requirements. Driven by those service requirements 5G systems will support diverse radio access technology scenarios, meet end-to-end user experienced requirements and provide capability of flexible network deployment and efficient operations. Then, based on the identified requirements, the paper overviews the main 5G technology trends and design principles to address them. In particular, the paper emphasizes the role played by three main technologies, namely SDN, NFV and MEC, and analyzes the main open issues of these technologies in relation to 5G.

Abstract:Current trends in broadband mobile networks are addressed towards the placement of different capabilities at the edge of the mobile network in a centralised way. On one hand, the split of the eNB between baseband processing units and remote radio headers makes it possible to process some of the protocols in centralised premises, likely with virtualised resources. On the other hand, mobile edge computing makes use of processing and storage capabilities close to the air interface in order to deploy optimised services with minimum delay. The confluence of both trends is a hot topic in the definition of future 5G networks. The full centralisation of both technologies in cloud data centres imposes stringent requirements to the fronthaul connections in terms of throughput and latency. Therefore, all those cells with limited network access would not be able to offer these types of services. This paper proposes a solution for these cases, based on the placement of processing and storage capabilities close to the remote units, which is especially well suited for the deployment of clusters of small cells. The proposed cloudenabled small cells include a highly efficient microserver with a limited set of virtualised resources offered to the cluster of small cells. As a result, a light data centre is created and commonly used for deploying centralised eNB and mobile edge computing functionalities. The paper covers the proposed architecture, with special focus on the integration of both aspects, and possible scenarios of application.

Small cells have emerged as a useful tool for supporting increased network capacity through network densification, but they can also be used to support edge cloud computing services. In this paper, we provide a preview of an innovative concept that tackles the consolidation of multi‐tenancy in such type communications infrastructures, as well as the placement of network intelligence and applications in the network edge. After surveing the challenges and the enabling technologies, we present the envisaged architecture to manage and control the Cloud‐Enabled Small Cell infrastructure. Also, at the operation level, we explain the potential advantages of adopting the proposed solutions on the long‐term evolution access networks. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The paper leverages the emerging paradigm of Network Function Virtualization (NFV) in an attempt to outline from the network management point of view the current trends on the road to 5G region. To that end, relevant architectural frameworks and concepts have been presented and the anticipated network densification through the notion of Edge Cloud has been discussed. Within this context, added value assets that can be generated by following some of the analysed principles have been also included. Finally, open issues and challenges with respect to the NFV functionalities and their materialization according to 5G requirements have been elaborated and some key new concepts about network and small cell virtualization have been introduced.

Abstract. The 5G ESSENCE project's context is based on the concept of Edge Cloud Computing and Small Cell-as-a-Service (SCaaS) -as both have been previously identified in the SESAME 5G-PPP project of phase 1-and further "promotes" their role and/or influences within the related 5G vertical markets. 5G ESSENCE's core innovation is focused upon the development/provision of a highly flexible and scalable platform, offering benefits to the involved market actors. The present work identifies a variety of challenges to be fulfilled by the 5G ESSENCE, in the scope of an enhanced architectural framework. The proposed technical approach exploits the profits of the centralization of Small Cell functions as scale grows through an edge cloud environment, based on a two-tier architecture with the first distributed tier being for offering low latency services and the second centralized tier being for the provision of high processing power for computing-intensive network applications. This permits decoupling the control and user planes of the Radio Access Network (RAN) and achieving the advantages of Cloud-RAN without the enormous fronthaul latency restrictions. The use of end-to-end network slicing mechanisms allows for sharing the related infrastructure among multiple operators/vertical industries and customizing its capabilities on a per-tenant basis, creating a neutral host market and reducing operational costs.