#1: DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AT THE NETWORK EDGE
While the concept of moving compute and service to the network's edge is certainly not new, with the arrival of 5G, MNOs will be faced with the need to redesign their network infrastructure in order to support the superior performance, advanced security and new services that are necessary for future relevancy and growth. To take full advantage of the opportunities presented by 5G, moving from standard virtual network function (VNF) to a true cloud-native, distributed architecture is essential. While VNF has helped move MNOs closer to digital transformation, it does not provide the agility needed to deliver new 5G services.
A cloud-native, microservices solution evolves the standard virtualized network architecture by introducing service-based architecture (SBA) in the core to optimize resources and deliver exceptional service performance. Using multi-access edge computing (MEC), traffic and services can then easily be moved from a centralized cloud to the edge(s) of the network to provide subscribers with personalized experiences and services, as well as superior network performance.