Real-World Impact of Mobile Edge Computing (MEC)

White paper

The impact of Mobile Edge Computing that truly complemented the thrill of (MEC) on the mobile subscriber’s the live event. experience is so profound that MEC has EE’s second demonstration showed a become an integral part of 4G networks secure, high-performance technology around the world. To illustrate the for managing crowd safety and effect of MEC, this paper describes reporting incidents. It illustrated how the impact of MEC trials at two major mobile connectivity can be used to international events: The Mobile World maintain a high level of safety for Congress* held in Barcelona in February attendees. On-site security personnel 2016, and the worldwide acclaimed wore LTE-connected bodycams, motor racing event held at the Shanghai generating multiple video streams back International Circuit* in April 2016. to a central control room. Ultra-low- Delivering ultra-low-latency video latency enabled the control room staff at busy locations to provide immediate and complete situational awareness. The GSMA Innovation City at the Mobile World Congress provides hands-on Enabling a fully immersive experiences on how mobile products user experience are improving people’s lives. This year This year the worldwide acclaimed EE*, the UK’s largest Mobile Network motor racing event was held in Operator (MNO), demonstrated two Shanghai International Circuit. Most powerful ways that MEC can change the people would be thrilled to attend way people experience a major event. a motor racing event. Now imagine Both demonstrations evolved around while there you could also see on your the delivery of ultra-low-latency video personal device real-time videos of over the LTE network. events on and off the track. You could EE leveraged the Nokia* Edge Video see the expression of the driver as he Orchestration application running at takes a corner, or watch the leading the network edge to deliver the Mobile cars at different viewing angles, all World Live TV service simultaneously while interacting with the social media to multiple LTE-enabled smartphones and press at the event. These real-time and tablets.1 Latency of just a few capabilities can transform the event hundred milliseconds provided a real- from an enjoyable day at the races to a life experience to conference attendees fully immersive user experience. White Paper 2 Real-World Impact of Mobile Edge Computing (MEC)

Figure 1. MEC trial network architecture

Sports events represent one of the feeds on their mobile devices with close the service delivery in the hands of most challenging environments for an to zero latency. Using an ultra-dense the MNO. This is important for two MNO. They are characterized as having heterogeneous network (HetNet) of key reasons. Firstly, and of utmost a large number of people gathered in LTE/Wi-Fi capable small cells, China importance, is that it allows the MNO to a contained area, a high demand of Mobile met the demand for massive manage the user experience. Secondly, locally relevant content, significant connectivity, capacity, and low latency it enables the MNO to rapidly deploy video traffic where subscribers at this global high-traffic event. new applications and services for their download the same content, often in subscribers, supporting localization of MEC is integral to delivering the same location, and a demand for a content, features, and services. 4G services real-time viewing experience coupled MEC can be positioned as a 4G with a highly vocal intolerance for any MEC is a network architecture concept evolution technology that is enabling notable delay. that enables cloud computing new approaches to deliver subscriber capabilities and an IT service China Mobile* took on the challenge services over today’s LTE networks. environment at the edge of the cellular of providing attendees with the ability A key advantage of MEC is that it can network. MEC enables applications to watch multiple real-time high- be implemented transparently within and related processing tasks such as definition videos. To meet the technical the existing 3GPP 4G mobile network content caching and media processing challenges of delivering massive infrastructure. Going forward, MEC is to run closer to the mobile subscriber. amounts of data to spectators in expected to be an integral part of the real-time, China Mobile implemented MEC is transforming the way services 5G specifications. a large scale implementation of MEC are being delivered to mobile Nurit Sprecher, ETSI* MEC ISG coupled with Nokia’s Edge Video subscribers. Not only does it improve chairperson, stated, “Our progress to Orchestration (EVO) application. This the user experience by providing high date and the variety of proof-points solution allowed spectators to access availability of content with reduced is a testament to the reality of MEC. multiple real-time high-definition video latency, MEC also puts control of We see MEC as the enabler of ultra- White Paper 3 Real-World Impact of Mobile Edge Computing (MEC)

low latency that will be integral to 5G, MEC is a foundational technology that but which is already available today seamlessly integrates applications using LTE and our MEC platform.2 MEC from Telecommunications Equipment delivers capabilities that have never Manufacturers (TEMs), service been seen before, such as the ability providers, and third party vendors into to process and analyse information at the fabric of connectivity networks. point-of-capture, at the very edge of The MEC platform from Nokia extends the network that increases awareness applications and services that would and accelerates reaction times.” normally reside within the Internet The technology behind these or the MNO’s data center, to the very MEC trials edge of the network, and in close proximity of the mobile subscriber. The technology behind EE’s inspiring An MNO’s dense network of base demonstrations at Mobile World stations is transformed into a Nokia Congress and China Mobile’s AirFrame cloud server. The Nokia successful field test at the Shanghai AirFrame* solution uses the Data Plane International Circuit was designed Development Kit (DPDK) combined with and developed by Nokia and run on Intel® Virtualization Technology the Intel® Xeon® processor. The MEC (Intel® VT). network architecture for this solution is illustrated in Figure 1. Intel and Nokia are leveraging MEC to enable MNO solutions that deliver ultra-low latency and high reliability for content delivery and cloud applications.

To learn more about Intel® Network Builder partners for MEC solutions powered by Intel, visit https://networkbuilders.intel.com/solutionscatalog.

Footnote: 1 Mobile World Live TV is a dedicated channel that broadcasts live from Mobile World Congress. https://www.mobileworldcongress.com/news/mobile-world-live-tv/ 2 Liquid Applications is a content delivery platform. http://company.nokia.com/en/news/press-releases/2014/09/04/nokia-networks-introduces-advanced-content-delivery-solutions- extends-liquid-applications-networksperform

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