Enabling the Verticals of 5G: Network Architecture, Design and Service Optimization

5G technology will address a wide range of use cases, far more than any previous generation of mobile communications technology. These use cases include enhanced mobile broadband, ultra‐reliable and low‐latency communications and massive machine‐type communications. The optimization of control and user plane may be necessary depending on use case. A key driver for 5G is to serve new and evolving use cases from vertical industries while continuing to enhance the wide‐area mobile broadband experience for all subscribers. A 5G end‐to‐end network supports subscriber data management, control plane functions and user plane functions. Since the early days of Global System for Mobile Communications and then General Packet Radio Service, the mobile eco‐system has been familiar with logical representations of mobile network architectures. These diagrams take the form of functional blocks and the interfaces between them, officially known as reference points. The chapter presents the view of the 3GPP 5G network, referred to as “reference point representation”.