What are the 5G core architecture components?

There will be an introduction to 5G and a discussion of 5G network infrastructure components in this blog. To begin, it’s essential to understand what 5G is. How does it vary in terms of its architecture when it comes to fast performance, low latency, and massive storage?

Everything we know about the linked world has to do with change. Due to its next-generation network design, 5G can open up tens of thousands of new consumer and industrial application opportunities. 5G seems to offer almost unlimited potential, with speeds and throughput orders of magnitude higher than existing networks.

Increasing 5G capabilities would help vertical industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, and transportation since it will be used in everything from sophisticated factory automation to entirely self-driving cars. Understanding the 5G network architecture is critical for developing commercially viable use cases and 5G apps.

5G will take time to roll out throughout the country, with service starting in major cities before spreading to less populated regions. Digi offers migration and next-generation goods communications to help our clients become ready for 5G. Digi helps our customers become prepared for 5G. There will be no 5G NR core or 5G RAN from Digi; nevertheless, Digi devices will be an essential part of the 5G vision and will find use in many 5G scenarios.

5G network infrastructure components

The new 5G specification’s basic network architecture can meet the increased throughput requirements associated with 5G. The new 5G core will handle a range of end-to-end activities required for 5G service delivery by using cloud-aligned service-based architecture (SBA). Additionally, NFV is seen as a critical design concept for the 5G core, owing to the MEC infrastructure’s capacity to deploy virtualized software functions.

• Five-generation (5G) core architecture includes user-plane and data network operations such as operator services, Internet access and third-party service providers.
• An authentication server verifies user IDs, as previously stated (AUSF).
• The Access and Mobility Management Function is the single point of contact for UE connections (AMF).
• After evaluating the requested service, the AMF selects the best Session Management Function (SMF) to handle user sessions for it.
• Network functions are available in a broad range of forms and sizes, each with specific benefits and drawbacks. Some examples are as follows: Control and Management of Sessions (PCF)
• Unified data management encompasses data management functions of all kinds (AF)
• Network operations are separated by service type in 5G due to the fact that it was developed from scratch. “5G core Service-Based Architecture” is the new name given to this design (SBA). The diagram below depicts the architecture of a 5G core network.
• There must be an authentication server function used by AMF for 5G core services in order to authenticate UEs (AUSF).
• In order to execute policies, the Policy Control Function, Application Function, and Unified Data Management functions use policy choices and subscription information to do so. A policy control framework for network behavior regulation is provided by these functions and the Session Management Function (SMF).
• In order to link 5G user equipment (UE), such as a smartphone, to 5G core and data networks (DN), such as the Internet, 5G New Radio Access Network (NRAN) is needed (NRAN).
• The User Policy Framework (UPF) transfers IP data between the User Equipment (UE) and external networks (UPF).

A more complicated 5G network architecture is required to offer better service that can accommodate a wide variety of 5G use cases, and this complexity is evident.

In contrast to the 4G architecture it replaces, edge computing, also known as mobile edge computing, is crucial in designing the 5G network. Small data centers may be placed near cell towers on the network’s outskirts in this scenario. The importance of both high-bandwidth and low-latency applications cannot be understated.

High-bandwidth services include things like video streaming. Cloud computing is used to store and create material. A cell tower can concurrently transmit a popular television show to 100 people. Keeping the information as near as possible to the customer, preferably on the cell tower, is more cost-effective in this situation.

Instead of streaming and transmitting this data and backhauling it to 100 users from a central cloud location, the user flows it from an edge storage device. Rather than that, you could send all of your content to the tower once and then use the 5G infrastructure to distribute it to all 100 of your subscribers.

When low latency is needed for two-way communication, the same logic applies. The turnaround time is substantially reduced because data does not have to travel across the network when an application runs on the edge.

In a 5G network design, these edge networks may be utilized to offer services at the network’s edge. They may be done on conventional server or data center hardware and linked via fiber to the radio transmitting the signal since these 5G core operations may be virtualized. Radio, on the other hand, caters to a relatively narrow audience.

The use of 4G LTE is increasing at an accelerated rate nowadays. Because it’s fast, most contemporary Internet of Things (IoT) apps doesn’t need much bandwidth because it’s fast. As applications move to 5G, 4G LTE networks and apps are expected to be phased out during the next decade, making way for 5G-capable devices and services.