Network Function Virtualization

Chapter 5SDN and NFV in 5G

Mobile network operators are looking for cheaper and more efficient ways to connect subscribers/devices to their networks by searching for creative ways to minimize network traffic and latency. Next-generation 5G mobile networks will steer mobile network operators toward software-defined networks (SDN), agnostic network access, mobile edge computing, and 5G network slicing where grouped subscribers or machine-to-Machine (M2M) and Internet of things (IoT) devices are serviced by separate, virtualized core networks. Next-generation 5G mobile networks will merge IT and Cloud concepts into mobile core networks methods for accessing subscriber information in order to reduce data latency and network backhaul. Mobile edge computing will position network applications, service applications, and subscriber profiles on the network edge in close proximity to the subscriber/device in order for 5G networks to accomplish their goals, thus making services and profile as mobile as the subscriber and device.

In a 5G network, the edge locality is called an anchor point where network access and service processing is performed in an evolved packet core (EPC) network deployed on an SDN. An anchor point can be defined for a specific network slice of common subscriber's devices. Anchor switches provide network traffic routing between SDN anchor points. In contrast to 5G networks, 2G/3G/4G networks are generally organized as geographical regions serviced out of a regional ...