SoftBank, in collaboration with a consortium, will exhibit a demonstration of this platform during an upcoming event in Japan this month

Japanese telco SoftBank announced it has initiated field trials for 5G multi-access edge computing (MEC) utilizing the segment routing IPv6 mobile user plane (SRv6 MUP) technology, the carrier said in a release.

SoftBank said that the technology enables an “easy realization” of MEC and network slicing, taking advantage of the main features of 5G.

“MEC can significantly reduce communication latency by deploying application servers closer to mobile devices, enabling the realization of high-speed and low-latency mobile network applications,” SoftBank said. “However, without the use of SRv6 MUP, there are concerns about increased complexity in the design, construction and operation of overall application systems due to the addition of mobile-specific switches and MEC to conventional mobile devices and cloud configurations,” it added.

By incorporating 5G MECthe field trial environment of SRv6 MUP on a commercial 5G network, SoftBank said it aims to enable communication between mobile devices and MEC servers without the need for mobile-specific switches.

Furthermore, within this field trial environment, a verification experiment of an extensive distributed execution platform using the Elixir computer programming language will be conducted. The platform, which was developed by an R&D initiative under the Beyond 5G Promotion Consortium, enables the seamless execution of applications in optimal locations, regardless of the complexity of execution environments among the cloud, MEC, and mobile devices, the carrier said.

SoftBank will collaborate with the consortium on a demonstration of this platform during an upcoming event in Japan this month. In the demo, SoftBank will deploy applications of the extensive distributed execution platform at its newly established 5G MEC base in the Kyushu region, demonstrating the ability to access the applications from 5G SA compatible mobile devices at the venue through an optimal communication route utilizing SRv6 MUP. 

“By providing the shortest path to 5G MEC based on the location of mobile devices, SRv6 MUP and the seamless extensive distributed execution platform will enable application developers to easily provide low-latency services to mobile devices without having to consider the geographical location of MEC,” the Japanese telco said.

“In the future, it is expected that computationally intensive tasks for various applications, such as AR, VR, and AI, which are challenging to handle on mobile devices with limited computing resources, can be offloaded and processed on MEC servers on 5G networks, eliminating the stress caused by latency and enabling a more comfortable user experience. SoftBank will promote activities that allow more application developers to experience the low-latency and high-quality MEC communication environment enabled by SRv6 MUP,” the carrier added.

The main features of future 5G-Advanced networks are expected to include further improvements in the fundamental performance aspects of 5G, such as coverage, capacity and mobility, Tomohiro Sekiwa, SVP and CNO at Japanese telco SoftBank, previously told RCR Wireless News.

The executive noted that he expects 5G-Advanced technology to gradually be implementedcommercial network equipment after 2025.

The SoftBank executive also noted that 5G-Advanced technology will enable the advancement of XR services and promote the widespread adoption of XR devices, adding that the technology will also facilitate the utilization of UAVs, the progress of Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS/Digital Twins) through the proliferation of low-cost, low-power 5G IoT devices.