Empowering Telecom Providers through a Ubiquitous Edge Platform – MEC is critical for both wireless and wireline carriers

With 5G rolling out across the globe, there’s been substantial attention showered on edge computing as a crucial enabler for specific capabilities such as ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) support. Edge and 5G have become synonymous even though carrier networks had already employed edge computing before 5G rollouts. Under 5G, though, the edge, or “multi-access edge computing” (MEC), is much more expansive and will become a critical capability for both fixed and mobile carriers.

There is a continuum for the edge, from public cloud edges provided by hyperscale cloud providers, including Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent, to on-premises edge stacks at enterprises (or even in consumer homes). Analyst estimates of how much compute will be performed at the edge in the next 5 years varies widely, from 50% to 75%. Regardless, carriers need to develop their MEC strategies to service the upcoming edge computing market.

This feature explores why such a platform is needed and what components are needed for this platform.

The ubiquitous MEC platform

Regardless of whether carriers choose to pursue their MEC strategy on their own or involve partners, most carrier MEC platforms will include a hardware component, a software infrastructure component, and a management and orchestration solution. Carriers may pick their partners from a rich edge ecosystem: virtualization and container platform providers, network equipment providers, system integrators or hyper-scale cloud providers.

Further, different use cases will demand that MEC capabilities be present at different locations, providing different latency options and facing different physical and environmental challenges. Just as the edge is a continuum from on-premises to the regional data centers, the carrier MEC platform should also span the spectrum and be equally comprehensive.

In mobile networks, MEC platforms will show up first at aggregation points like mobile switching centers (MSCs). Subsequently, MEC options may include cell-site towers and street-level cabinets aggregating mmWave small cells. Especially as virtualized RAN gains momentum, MEC platforms that can run the disaggregated RU (RAN unit), DU (distributed unit), and CU (centralized unit) will spread towards the radio edge.

For wireline networks, MEC platforms are showing up in next-generation central offices (COs) or at cable headends at multi-service operators (MSOs). These locations provide an opportunity for carriers to run edge workloads with proximity to both enterprise and consumer customers.

In addition to carrier-managed premises, enterprises may seek edge solutions from their service providers as well. In these situations, enterprises will demand an option for an on-premises edge. This edge will take the form of either MEC capabilities on CPE (or uCPE) or additional MEC servers installed at customer premises.

The role of network equipment providers (NEPs) in enabling ubiquitous MEC

Given the requirement for a pervasive MEC environment across multiple locations, there is an opportunity for NEPs who have a rich portfolio of solutions to step up and offer a ubiquitous embedded platform across their range of offerings. Platforms can range from wireline systems like BBU or BRAS (or even the OLTs) and end-customer platforms like uCPEs. For wireless deployments, telcos will want MEC offerings that they can use in MSCs, as well as hardened systems deployable at cell sites and in street-level cabinets. To be comprehensive, such a system would also need to support white-box servers that telcos can deploy in any data center or mini data center location, including at customer premises.

Compared to a piecemeal MEC approach that carriers are trying to put together today, ranging from partnering with SIs to picking a subset of solutions from NEPs to working with hyperscalers in select locations, a more uniform, consistent platform approach might be an appealing alternative.

For a NEP to execute this strategy, a uniform infrastructure layer (historically labeled the NFVI and VIM under ETSI NFV) would need to be provided across all these instantiations and include orchestration and management to provision, deploy and manage the lifecycle of applications across multiple locations. Since edge workloads are likely to be varied, the platform will need to support NFV-style VNFs to more modern CNFs. This means there will be support for bare metal platforms to VMs to containers and potentially serverless in the future.

Importance of a software-centric cloud-like approach

The other challenge for NEPs looking to build such a unified platform is ensuring strong software and integration capabilities. Hyperscale cloud providers have built developer-friendly ecosystems, and software stacks focused on self-service. Hyperscalers empower the end-user to build, automate, and scale application deployment, often through integration with platform APIs. Carriers that want to compete or even partner with hyperscalers will need platforms that provide similar API-centricity and self-service capabilities.

Beyond APIs and self-service edge platform functionality, another key element to success is a cloud-based management platform, complete with cross-domain orchestration and built-in monitoring and telemetry features.

For some NEPs this will be a new challenge, given that they’ve historically focused on developing appliance-based solutions in siloed divisions: access routing versus transport solutions BUs, mobile division versus optical division versus wireline division. However, a NEP that can envision, design and develop a uniform platform approach for MEC workloads can meet today’s pressing carrier needs. Ultimately, this platform can fulfill end-user applications requirements by providing MEC across multiple locations to execute different workloads with different latency needs.

Source: https://www.mobileworldlive.com/zte-updates-2019-20/empowering-telecom-providers-through-a-ubiquitous-edge-platform-mec-is-critical-for-both-wireless-and-wireline-carriers 02 11 20

5G MEC – Deployment Options and Challenges for Mobile Operators

One of the major promises of 5G is low latency, with target levels of 1 millisecond being specified for the air interface in 3GPP’s Release 16 document. Low latencies will enable Mobile Network Operators (MNO) to introduce a wealth of new applications and services. However, achieving these low latency levels will require them to build a dense network of Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) data centres at considerable cost and with significant business risk.

MEC Deployment Options

MEC platforms can be deployed at multiple locations in a network with the chosen location depending on various factors, including required performance criteria (for example, latency), physical deployment constraints, scalability and use case requirements. As shown in Exhibit 1, the most suitable locations are at the tower, network aggregation points, mobile core and central office sites.

• Level 1: Tower/Base Station – this is the closest point in the mobile network to the mobile user and, therefore, the one with minimal latency. However, often this may not be the best choice for several reasons, including power limitations (most cell sites are limited to 1-2 kW), the lack of fibre resources at individual tower locations and the increasing trend within the wireless industry to aggregate radio management at central locations, for example, at C-RAN hubs.
• Level 2: Network Aggregations Points – in a macro cellular network, possible locations include at multi Radio Access Technology (RAT) points, Service Access Points (SAPs) or at C-RAN hub sites. C-RAN hubs typically control around 30-40 cell sites and enable RTT latencies to and from the base station of around 10-20 milliseconds.
• Levels 3 and 4: EPC, Central Offices, etc. – in the case of incumbent MNOs/telcos, possible locations include EPC sites and fixed network nodes such as regional data centres (large central offices), local data centres (small central offices) or other aggregation sites.

Real-World Latency Levels

Although there is a lot of hype about the 1 millisecond latency target, the actual levels of latency in public 5G networks will depend on real world deployments. As a result, latency levels in the 10-12 millisecond range are more likely than 1-2 milliseconds and will probably require a heavy reliance on fibre and optical switching in the transport network. However, it is likely that single-digit millisecond delay times will be possible for URLLC[1] use cases running on private, industrial 5G networks, which are essentially controlled environments not subject to the typical traffic congestion issues within public 5G networks.

MEC Infrastructure Costs

Adding MEC will clearly increase the cost of 5G networks, with the actual costs depending on how it is implemented. The most expensive option will be if MEC is implemented at every tower location, with likely thousands of sites per MNO (Level 1). Deploying at RAN aggregation points or other Points of Presence (PoPs) would reduce the number of MEC sites from thousands to hundreds per MNO and cost significantly less. The most cost-effective solution, however, would be deployment at a few tens of EPC sites and large central office facilities (Levels 3/4). This is the option that most MNOs will likely adopt initially and is the preferred option of, for example, SK Telecom and Deutsche Telekom, both of whom launched limited commercial MEC services during 2019.

Exhibit 1: RTT Latency at various points along a 5G network

Other challenges may also drive MNOs towards the Levels 3/4 option. For example, the physical space available at many cell sites is limited and an adequate power supply to power the additional equipment may not be easily available. There will also be a higher risk of theft in some countries for MEC equipment which may result in higher security costs.

Central vs Distributed MEC Architecture

While it is likely that more applications will emerge that require sub-1 millisecond latency in the future, Counterpoint Research believes that the main focus in the short term will be on Layer 3/4 MEC data centres. MNOs should start by deploying MEC at Levels 3/4 locations and then progressively expand to Level 2 and finally to some Level 1 locations. In this way, MNOs can address new opportunities without needing to impose unachievable ROIs on their MEC business cases. Some MNOs may take a bold decision and adopt a much more distributed MEC architecture. For example, Rakuten Mobile has deployed more than 4,000 vDU[2]/MEC sites across Japan. However, this is a green build 4G LTE network development.

Rather than building its own MEC infrastructure, MNOs may choose other options. For example, there are discussions among MNOs on sharing MEC sites. There are also tower companies, CDN players and edge data centre providers planning to extend their network infrastructure further to the edge with the intention of leasing capacity to MNOs. This may be a more suitable option for smaller MNOs.

Source: https://www.counterpointresearch.com/zh-hans/5g-mec/ 25 06 20