A Perspective of O-RAN Integration with MEC, SON, and Network Slicing in the 5G Era

The deployment of 5G mobile networks has begun in earnest. The 5G network is built on a service-based architecture (SBA) which enables programmability of the control plane of 5G Core (5GC) and supports network slicing (NS) in both core and access networks. NS enables the creation of multiple, isolated network slices tailored for specific services with diverse KPI objectives. SBA of 5GC facilitates core network user plane functions (UPF) being deployed near the network edge, which has triggered intense interest in edge activities such as Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC), whereas the traditional Self-Organizing Network (SON) functions are being enhanced continuously in 5G RAN. Meanwhile, the development of open and smart RAN led by an industry alliance, O-RAN, has received great attention. In this short paper we would like to sort out if and how all of the above would fit together in a consistent and efficient manner regarding their architecture aspects and functionalities.