Integration of D2D, network slicing, and MEC in 5G cellular networks: Survey and challenges

Abstract

With the tremendous demand for connectivity anywhere and anytime, existing network architectures should be modified. To cope with the challenges that arise due to the increasing flood of devices/users and a diverse range of application requirements, new technologies and concepts must be integrated to enable their benefits. Service providers and business companies are looking for new areas of research to enhance overall system performance. This article gives a detailed survey about the recent 5G technologies, the solutions they provide, and the effect caused by their addition to current cellular networks. It is based on the three most important 5G concepts: Device to Device (D2D), Network Slicing (NS), and Mobile Edge Computing (MEC). This study proposes to design the future 5G networks by the integration of all three technologies. It is believed that spectrum efficiency, energy efficiency, and overall throughput will be greatly improved by using D2D. The system delay and computational load will be reduced as tasks will be handled by edge routers located at the base stations. Thus offloading the core network and the system capital expenses and operational expenses will be reduced significantly by slicing the network.