MEC – exploring the new values of wireless networks

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In recent years, Movie Edge Computing (MEC) has become more and more important as mobile network develops. It provides powerful computing and data processing capabilities, and connects terminals of various standards at the edge of the network.

Simultaneously, based on virtualization architecture and flexible expansion capabilities, MEC accelerates the development of services and applications from the cloud to the edge of the network, which can greatly shorten the waiting time and access latency of apps, and save backhaul bandwidth. In addition, MEC provides better awareness of localized applications, such as wireless video services and industrial remote control.

As a result, major operators in the world are speeding up the MEC commercial planning, strengthening the cooperation in vertical industries, and promoting the deployment of the services. For example, China Unicom has launched ten products in edge computing; China Mobile has launched the “Pioneer 300” in edge computing; China Telecom are gradually implementing MEC deployment scale from points to blocks and to fogs; AT&T now is developing edge computing services in multiple industries, such as self-service retail and industrial manufacturing.

Facing vertical industry exploration, MEC serves for the radio network acceleration

As mobile OTT services are booming, a large number of applications such as webpage browsing and video watching impose higher requirements on mobile network performance. Through multi-access capability and local shunting function, MEC can localize services processing, thus to obtain low-latency experience. As a part of the mobile network, MEC provides intelligent computing capability at mobile network edge, shortens transmission delay, improves data rate, and provides better user experience.

ZTE, a pioneer in the MEC field, presented a series of solutions during the MWC  Shanghai exhibition. Firstly, ZTE’s MEC solution provides four service capabilities in the edge computing field, cloud service, multi-connections, hash rate acceleration, and capability openness-meets the service innovation requirements in vertical industries such as big video, smart manufacturing, Internet of Vehicles (IoV), power system, etc.

At the same time, ZTE also demonstrated two different service experience modes: One is the experience of edge applications based on multiple network architectures. In this mode, ZTE provides face-to-face real-time AR holographic calls to users in different spaces by integrating 5G and fixed networks at the edge, bringing wholly new high-rate and low-latency interactive service experience to visitors. The other is MEC-based network service acceleration demonstration. ZTE is the first vendor in the industry to apply MEC to speed up network performance and explore new network values through MEC computing and storage capabilities.

Based on 4G network, ZTE demonstrates network acceleration for different QCI users by providing them with corresponding TCP optimization services. There are two UEs in the demonstration, one gets TCPO with high QCI while the other one does not. When downloading an App from internet, the average data rate of high-QCI UE is 2 to 3 times higher than that of the normal UE. During live videos show, the UE with TCPO experiences no lagging and the latency is reduced significantly. Both services demonstrate that TCP optimization can obviously improve user experience, which was highly praised by visitors.

MEC TCP optimization service provides not only the dedicated speedup services for valuable customers, but also better user experience in hot-spot areas. Through capability openness, it offers high-value OTT applications with acceleration services based on wireless network performance perception as well, expanding the cooperative fields of operators and partners.

ZTE first

ZTE, the first vendor in industry that provides MEC TCP optimization service, has implemented a number of pre-commercial deployments and performance verification around the world, and will continue to push MEC capability improvement in wireless network.

“As one of the key hot technologies in 4G and 5G fields, MEC shows its strong technical charm to the industry and gradually promotes a new round of industrial development.” said the vice president of ZTE, Mr. Pu Yingchun, “ZTE continuously explores radio network’s value-added service capabilities and expands such services based on the edge computation. At the same time, we focus on four major industries, and expedites in-depth cooperation between operators and partners in different fields to jointly promote the development of edge industries and build an edge ecosystem. “

This article is sponsored by ZTE.

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