Cloud and MEC Security 381
access networks, cloud computing sets to enable broader network access to such
applications through rapid elasticity and resource pooling.
● Massive Machine‐type Communications (mMTC): The main characteristic of this use
case category is the massive number of connected devices. These use cases depend on
the interworking of billions of sensors and actuators to support a huge number of
low‐cost and energy‐constrained devices. Typical use cases under this group are
mission‐critical machine type communications such as remote surgery, industrial
process automations, smart grids and intelligent transport systems. With the emphasis on latency, reliability and availability, the role of mobile edge clouds becomes
essential in these uses cases.
● Ultra‐reliable Machine‐type Communications (uMTC): These use cases are mainly
characterized by high reliability and availability. Time‐critical services and applications such as industrial control applications, V2X
3
, tactile network applications,
autonomous driving, remote control over robots, IoT and other critical machine‐type
communications fall under this category. The major requirements for these use cases
are fast discovery, immediate communication establishment, sporadic data handling
and reliable feedbacks. The key enablers for the uMTC use cases are cloud storage
and unified radio interface which is found in C‐RAN [18].
16.3 MEC in 5G Networks
Virtualization and programmability introduces a major paradigm shift in the evolution
towards the next generation of mobile networks. With virtualization, certain network
functions, which are usually provisioned by proprietary network elements, are replaced
with some form of virtual infrastructure like the cloud, with the aim of providing on‐
demand; cost‐efficient and service oriented network services on‐the‐fly. Mobile Edge
Computing (MEC) is an archetype of such virtualization at the edge of cellular networks,
with an aim to reduce congestion at the core of the network; MEC is envisioned to be
one of the driving technologies towards the 5G evolution.
16.3.1 Overview of MEC Computing
MEC is a new technology that is currently being standardized by the ETSI
4
MEC
Industry Specification Group (ISG), a European standard institute for Information and
Communications Technologies (ICT). ETSI envisions that by providing IT and cloud
computing capabilities within the RAN at the edge of mobile networks, developers
and content providers can have direct access to real‐time radio access information, this
will also promote ultra‐low latency, provide higher bandwidth and ensure improved
overall user experience [19].
The MEC architecture is mainly a complementary unification of information
technology and telecommunication domains in a virtualized platform served through
a MEC hosting infrastructure, as shown in Figure 16.4. MEC mainly incorporates
3 Vehicle-to-Vehicle/Infrastructure.
4 European Telecommunications Standards Institute.
access networks, cloud computing sets to enable broader network access to such
applications through rapid elasticity and resource pooling.
● Massive Machine‐type Communications (mMTC): The main characteristic of this use
case category is the massive number of connected devices. These use cases depend on
the interworking of billions of sensors and actuators to support a huge number of
low‐cost and energy‐constrained devices. Typical use cases under this group are
mission‐critical machine type communications such as remote surgery, industrial
process automations, smart grids and intelligent transport systems. With the emphasis on latency, reliability and availability, the role of mobile edge clouds becomes
essential in these uses cases.
● Ultra‐reliable Machine‐type Communications (uMTC): These use cases are mainly
characterized by high reliability and availability. Time‐critical services and applications such as industrial control applications, V2X
3
, tactile network applications,
autonomous driving, remote control over robots, IoT and other critical machine‐type
communications fall under this category. The major requirements for these use cases
are fast discovery, immediate communication establishment, sporadic data handling
and reliable feedbacks. The key enablers for the uMTC use cases are cloud storage
and unified radio interface which is found in C‐RAN [18].
16.3 MEC in 5G Networks
Virtualization and programmability introduces a major paradigm shift in the evolution
towards the next generation of mobile networks. With virtualization, certain network
functions, which are usually provisioned by proprietary network elements, are replaced
with some form of virtual infrastructure like the cloud, with the aim of providing on‐
demand; cost‐efficient and service oriented network services on‐the‐fly. Mobile Edge
Computing (MEC) is an archetype of such virtualization at the edge of cellular networks,
with an aim to reduce congestion at the core of the network; MEC is envisioned to be
one of the driving technologies towards the 5G evolution.
16.3.1 Overview of MEC Computing
MEC is a new technology that is currently being standardized by the ETSI
4
MEC
Industry Specification Group (ISG), a European standard institute for Information and
Communications Technologies (ICT). ETSI envisions that by providing IT and cloud
computing capabilities within the RAN at the edge of mobile networks, developers
and content providers can have direct access to real‐time radio access information, this
will also promote ultra‐low latency, provide higher bandwidth and ensure improved
overall user experience [19].
The MEC architecture is mainly a complementary unification of information
technology and telecommunication domains in a virtualized platform served through
a MEC hosting infrastructure, as shown in Figure 16.4. MEC mainly incorporates
3 Vehicle-to-Vehicle/Infrastructure.
4 European Telecommunications Standards Institute.