An MEC and NFV Integrated Network Architecture

Abstract

The demand for 5G services and applications is driving the change of network architecture. The mobile edge computing (MEC) technology combines the mobile network technology with cloud computing and virtualization, and is one of the key technologies for 5G networks. Compared to network function virtualization (NFV), another critical enabler of 5G networks, MEC reduces laten⁃ cy and enhances the offered capacity. In this paper, we discuss the combination of the two technologies and propose a new archi⁃ tecture. Moreover, we list the application scenarios using the proposed architecture. MEC; 5G; NFV; cloud computing; network architecture evolution