A workshop organised by the GSMA Operator Platform Group (OPG) has gathered inputs from 3GPP and ETSI to help the Association to compile a mapping of specifications for enabling Telco Edge Computing platforms - that meet the requirements of their new Operator Platform API Group (OPAG).

Prior to the January 21 workshop, the 3GPP Technical Specification Group Service and System Aspects (TSG SA) reviewed the OPAG API work categories and initial mapping. TSG SA concluded that the 3GPP work was not yet fully reflected in the GSMA’s early output, necessitating a 3GPP liaison statement (SP-210003) towards GSMA OPAG.

During the workshop, the 3GPP presentation by Suresh Chitturi, the 3GPP WG SA6 Chair, provided more detailed references to 3GPP specifications and additional comments from the working groups, for discussion. He told the workshop attendees (Over 100 delegates) that Edge computing has been a major focus in 3GPP Release 17, with four key groups in TSG SA carrying out studies and normative work:

• SA2: System Architecture enhancement for supporting Edge Computing.
• SA3: Security aspects for supporting SA2 and SA6 architectures.
• SA5: Management & Charging aspects on Edge Computing.
• SA6: Edge Enabler Layer architecture, and deployment scenarios.

Suresh Chitturi described the current status of Release 17 as being very close to being wrapped up – with Stage 3 progressing well. In parallel, he advised, early Release 18 work on evolved Edge features had started across the same groups, with efforts closely aligned to meet the GSMA requirements - such as federation and roaming, as well as network slicing. In addition, he informed the workshop that “the 3GPP architecture design principles meet the expectations of GSMA OPAG, where the operator platform functionality can be either isolated from the network domain or hosted alongside the network functions referring to the Edge Enabler Layer architecture”.

The workshop also heard from the ETSI ISG MEC Chair, Dario Sabella, presenting details of their work and proposed way forward.

The Operator Platform API Group workshop was Chaired by Faisal Zia of the GSMA. A recording of the presentations is available ...here

The workshop participants discussed future cooperation, with Georg Mayer, SA Chair concluding that correspondence via liaison statement is the best way forward, coupled with the prospect of filling gaps in the specification work via direct membership participation in the 3GPP groups.

Further reading:

• Suresh Chitturi, WG SA6 Chair presentation to the Workshop on GSMA OPAG API Mapping to SDO References. The presentation contains the details shared in liaison statement SP-210003 

Contact for this article: Kevin FLYNN, Marketing and Communications Officer, 3GPP