5G Architecture

This chapter presents an overview of the different 5G architectures and then covers in more details the radio access network (RAN) architecture and interfaces as well as the 5G Core (5GC) network with key elements and functionalities. Network slicing in 5G is intended to address services with different kinds of requirements, while at the same time improving the efficiency of the network. 5G radio and the 5G core provide different means for interworking with LTE, ranging from the connected mode and idle mode mobility, all the way to dual connectivity. The 5G core also enables connectivity from access networks other than 3GPP‐based networks, as long as the devices support the 3GPP‐based connection establishment signaling (3GPP NAS), as the 5G‐core‐related procedures have been made access independent. The chapter concludes with the introduction of network slicing support in Release 15.