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11 | Whitepaper – Exploring Computing Platforms for Radio Access

Networks

Figure 9: 4G Network Architecture Utilizing Edge Services.

The well-defined interfaces between the eNB and ePC should not be barriers to collocating

Edge functionality needed to satisfy service requirements. The Edge Cloud enables a new

world of applications to cellular communications such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and

more. Careful selection of edge functions is required to best support targeted services; a

hierarchical architecture is needed.

4 3GPP 5G NR (New Radio) Network Architecture and Software

Stack

4.1 5G Network Architecture

Figure 10 illustrates some of the tenets previously shown that will become an inherent part of

the 5G cellular architecture. The gNB is capable of being separated into the Distributed Unit

(DU) and Centralized Unit (CU), whose interconnection is defined by F1 (by the 3GPP

standards organization). When compared to Figure 3, the following changes in nomenclature

are apparent: eNB --> gNB, X2 --> Xn, S1 --> N2/N3, ePC -->5G CN and SGi --> N6. Lastly,

the F1 interface was introduced.

Figure 10: 5G NR Network Architecture high level block diagram

A more detailed network architecture block diagram is provided in Figure 11, where the gNB is

split into the RRH and BBU. The functionality performed within the RRH is the RF spectral up

and down conversion, ADC/DAC, Digital Front End (DFE), Power Amplifier Linearization

PHY

MAC

RLC

PDCP

Etc.

MIMO

(BF)

RRH

DFE,

ET,

DPD

DAC

ADC

MME

S-GW-U

P-GW-U

HSS

PCRF

eNB

Edge Site

BBU

SGi

S1-MME

S1-U

S5-U

S6a

...

Sxa

S-GW-C

P-GW-C

S11

S5-C

MEC

Sxa

Sxb

ePC

SGi

MEC

P-GW-U

S5-U

...

N2/N3

gNB

N2/N3