Page 18 - 5G Basics - Core Network Aspects

1 Core network aspects

emerging. Also, new implementation technologies, such as advanced silicon and optical technology, enable
support of requirements that were conventionally considered unrealistic, for example, by substantially
reducing the production cost of an equipment. All these new factors introduce new requirements to
networks.

The basic architecture of large-scale public networks, such as telecommunication networks, is difficult to
change due to the enormous amount of resources needed to build, operate, and maintain them. Their
architecture is therefore carefully designed to be flexible enough to satisfy continually changing
requirements. For instance, Internet Protocol (IP) absorbs and hides the different protocols and
implementations of underlying layers and, with its simple addressing and other features, it has succeeded in
adapting to the enormous changes in scalability, as well as factors such as quality of service (QoS) and
security.
However, it is not known if current networks can continue to fulfil changing requirements in the future. Nor
is it known whether the growing market of new application areas will have the potential to finance the
enormous investment required to change the networks, if the new architecture is to be sufficiently attentive
to backward compatibility and migration costs. Research communities have been working on various
architectures and supporting technologies, such as network virtualization [b-Anderson], [b-ITU-T FG-FN
NWvirt], energy-saving of networks [b-ITU-T FG-FN Energy], and content-centric networks [b-Jacobson].
It is, therefore, reasonable to expect that some requirements can be realized by the new network
architectures and supporting technologies described by recent research activities, and that these could be
the foundation of networks of the future, whose trial services and phased deployment is estimated to fall
approximately between 2015 and 2020. In this Recommendation, networks based on such new architecture
are named "Future Networks" (FNs).
This Recommendation describes objectives that may differentiate FNs from existing networks, design goals
that FNs should satisfy, target dates and migration issues, and technologies for achieving the design goals.

7 Objectives
FNs are recommended to fulfil the following objectives which reflect the new requirements that are
emerging. These are objectives that are not considered as primary or are not realized to a satisfactory extent
in current networks. These objectives are the candidate characteristics that clearly differentiate FNs.

7.1 Service awareness
FNs are recommended to provide services whose functions are designed to be appropriate to the needs of
applications and users. The number and range of services is expected to explode in the future. FNs are
recommended to accommodate these services without drastic increases in, for instance, deployment and
operational costs.

7.2 Data awareness

FNs are recommended to have architecture optimized to handle enormous amounts of data in a distributed
environment, and are recommended to enable users to access desired data safely, easily, quickly, and
accurately, regardless of their location. In the context of this Recommendation, "data" are not limited to
specific data types like audio or video content, but describe all information accessible on a network.

7.3 Environmental awareness

FNs are recommended to be environmentally friendly. The architecture design, resulting implementation and
operation of FNs are recommended to minimize their environmental impact, such as consumption of
materials and energy and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. FNs are recommended to also be designed
and implemented so that they can be used to reduce the environmental impact of other sectors.

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