An ETSI MEC meeting is going to take place from the 25th to the 28th of March, in the facilities of one of our consortium partners, the University Carlos III of Madrid, Spain. MEC (Multi- Access Edge Compting) offers IT service and cloud-computing capabilities at the edge of the mobile network in an environment that is characterized by proximity, ultra-low latency and high bandwidth. Furthermore, it provides exposure to real-time radio network and context information.
Looking into what MEC is:
Multi-access Edge Computing offers application developers and content providers cloud-computing capabilities and an IT service environment at the edge of the network. This environment is characterized by ultra-low latency and high bandwidth as well as real-time access to radio network information that can be leveraged by applications.
MEC provides a new ecosystem and value chain. Operators can open their Radio Access Network (RAN) edge to authorized third-parties, allowing them to flexibly and rapidly deploy innovative applications and services towards mobile subscribers, enterprises and vertical segments.
Strategic relevance of MEC
MEC is a natural development in the evolution of mobile base stations and the convergence of IT and telecommunications networking. Multi-access Edge Computing will enable new vertical business segments and services for consumers and enterprise customers. Use cases include:
- video analytics
- location services
- Internet-of-Things (IoT)
- augmented reality
- optimized local content distribution and
- data caching
It uniquely allows 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 purposes.
MEC industry standards and deployment of MEC platforms will act as enablers for new revenue streams to operators, vendors and third-parties. Differentiation will be enabled through the unique applications deployed in the Edge Cloud.