Potentials and challenges of MEC implementation in B5G Satellite Networks

Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) concepts have been out for already many years with particular interest and application in terrestrial networks where MEC was initially defined as mobile edge computing. In this respect, MEC has been exploited for both computation and caching purposes with the ultimate need to achieve a more flexible and efficient overall architecture and, more importantly, to minimize the service execution delay so as to approach the so-called concept of almost-zero perceived latency. Such a perspective is becoming even more attractive in the context of B5G where non-terrestrial networks (e.g., encompassing satellite systems too) are expected to be integrated with the rest of the telecommunication ecosystem. Initial studies have been already carried out around the use of MEC in satellite systems especially for boosting the access to content but a more holistic view on potentials and challenges is still missing. In particular, the advent of 3D satellite network with several space objects possibly interconnected dramatically multiplies the opportunities for exploiting MEC concepts, although also design limitations have also to be properly understood and taken into consideration. As such, this talk attempts to provide a general view on the different opportunities that can materialize in the context of integrated satellite-B5G networks and identifies some key research topics for further development and investigation from the scientific community in the very next few years.