ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces multi-access edge computing (MEC) from a network perspective, starting from the historical background of cloud computing, and considering new trends that drove the evolution toward the edge. The “multi” in retrospect is the least important part of the acronym, a designation indicating that MEC technologies can be used in all kinds of networks to enable all kinds of applications. MEC is a critical tool in enabling operators to launch 5G applications on their existing 4G networks. MEC enables such edge presence by creating a cloud-like application landing zone within the access network – that is, as close to the client devices as possible. MEC is a kind of a chimera – a cloud technology that’s located away from the cloud and that has something important to do with networking. A dozen MEC sites in a downtown of a city is a pilot deployment, not a commercially viable enterprise.
