The 5G Future Forum has released abstracts of technical specifications for multi-access edge computing (MEC). The 5G Future Forum is a consortium of global 5G providers, including Verizon and Vodafone, formed to help develop 5G interoperability standards for multi-access edge computing (MEC).

MEC is a key technology that 5G aims to leverage. MEC technology brings computing and processing power that normally is available in the cloud, closer to the network edge.

The closer proximity to the edge allows 5G to more effectively leverage those edge computing resources, taking advantage of 5G’s lower latency for example. This is important for enterprise applications and for adding scale and innovation to cloud-based services.

The 5G Future Forum aims to create interoperability for MEC so 5G carriers across the globe have consistency and ease of deployment.

Ultimately the forum wants its work to support 5G carriers, cloud service providers (‘hyperscalers’), OEMs, developers, and enterprises, according to a forum press release.

5G Future Forum Multi-Access Edge Computing Specs

The technical specs fall into two major categories:

• The “MEC Deployment” technical specification defines the set of specifications to allow hyperscalers and service providers to deploy and integrate global MEC physical frameworks, including facilities (e.g. power and cooling), monitoring, operational considerations and security.
• The “MEC Experience Management” technical specification defines a set of intent-based APIs for functional exposure of edge and workload discovery with potential expansion to include future MEC functions and capabilities which are driven by network intelligence

“The 5G Future Forum was set up to unlock the full potential of 5G and MEC applications and solutions around the globe,” said Rima Qureshi, chief strategy officer, Verizon, in a prepared statement. “5G is a key enabler of the next industrial revolution, where technology should transform how we live and work through applications including machine learning, autonomous industrial equipment, smart cars and cities, Internet of Things (IoT) and augmented and virtual reality. The release of these first specifications marks a major step forward in helping companies around the world create a seamless global experience for their customers.”

The abstracts of the specifications are available on the 5G Future Forum webpage. Non-members will be able to request access to the specifications once they are published at some unspecified time in the future.