6.5 Efficient user plane

22.2613GPPRelease 18Service requirements for the 5G systemTS

6.5.1 Description

5G is designed to meet diverse services with different and enhanced performances (e.g. high throughput, low latency and massive connections) and data traffic model (e.g. IP data traffic, non-IP data traffic, short data bursts and high throughput data transmissions).

User plane should be more efficient for 5G to support differentiated requirements. On one hand, a Service Hosting Environment located inside of operator’s network can offer Hosted Services closer to the end user to meet localization requirement like low latency, low bandwidth pressure. These Hosted Services contain applications provided by operators and/or trusted 3rd parties. On the other hand, user plane paths can be selected or changed to improve the user experience or reduce the bandwidth pressure, when a UE or application changes location during an active communication.

The 5G network can also support multiple wireless backhaul connections (e.g. satellites and/or terrestrial), and efficiently route and/or bundle traffic among them.

6.5.2 Requirements

Based on operator policy, application needs, or both, the 5G system shall support an efficient user plane path between UEs attached to the same network, modifying the path as needed when the UE moves during an active communication.

The 5G network shall enable a Service Hosting Environment provided by operator.

Based on operator policy, the 5G network shall be able to support routing of data traffic between a UE attached to the network and an application in a Service Hosting Environment for specific services, modifying the path as needed when the UE moves during an active communication.

Based on operator policy, application needs, or both, the 5G system shall support an efficient user plane path, modifying the path as needed when the UE moves or application changes location, between a UE in an active communication and:

– an application in a Service Hosting Environment; or

– an application server located outside the operator’s network; or

– an application server located in a customer premises network or personal IoT network.

The 5G network shall maintain user experience (e.g. QoS, QoE) when a UE in an active communication moves from a location served by a Service Hosting Environment to:

– another location served by a different Service Hosting Environment; or

– another location served by an application server located outside the operator’s network; or

– another location served by an application server located in a customer premises network or personal IoT network, and vice versa.

The 5G network shall maintain user experience (e.g. QoS, QoE) when an application for a UE moves as follows:

– within a Service Hosting Environment; or

– from a Service Hosting Environment to another Service Hosting Environment; or

– from a Service Hosting Environment to an application server located place outside the operator’s network; or

– from a Service Hosting Environment to an application server located in a customer premises network or personal IoT network, and vice versa.

The 5G network shall be able to interact with applications in a Service Hosting Environment for efficient network resource utilization and offloading data traffic to the Service Hosting Environment close to the UE’s point of attachment to the access network.

The 5G network shall support configurations of the Service Hosting Environment in the network (e.g. access network, core network), that provide application access close to the UE’s point of attachment to the access network.

The 5G system shall support mechanisms to enable a UE to access the closest Service Hosting Environment for a specific hosted application or service.

The 5G network shall enable instantiation of applications for a UE in a Service Hosting Environment close to the UE’s point of attachment to the access network.

The 5G system shall be able to suspend or stop application instances in a Service Hosting Environment.

NOTE: Not all applications will always be available in all Service Hosting Environments. Therefore, it may be needed to instantiate an application at a Service Hosting Environment nearby for serving a particular UE.

Based on operator policy, the 5G system shall provide a mechanism such that one type of traffic (from a specific application or service) to/from a UE can be offloaded close to the UE’s point of attachment to the access network, while not impacting other traffic type to/from that same UE.

For a 5G system with satellite access, the following requirements apply:

• A 5G system with satellite access shall be able to select the communication link providing the UE with the connectivity that most closely fulfils the agreed QoS
• A 5G system with satellite access shall be capable of supporting simultaneous use of 5G satellite access network and 5G terrestrial access networks.
• A 5G system with satellite access shall be able to support both UEs supporting only satellite access and UEs supporting simultaneous connectivity to 5G satellite access network and 5G terrestrial access network.

The 5G System shall enable the discovery of a suitable Hosted Service.