A typical 5G network
A typical 5G network comprises three broad components that it uses to connect to the internet or to applications. Firstly, we have the radio component, also known as the access network. Then, we have the packet core network, which comprises various 5G NFs that we will discuss shortly. Thirdly, we see the transport network, which serves as the backbone of the 5G infrastructure and carries the user and control traffic between the access network and the packet core network, finally reaching the Application Functions (AFs) such as content servers or, simply put, the internet.
In Figure 2.1, we can see the 5G infrastructure components:
Figure 2.1 – 5G network overview
Let’s understand some of these components:
- ACCESS NETWORK: The access network comprises the radio components, basically the G-NodeB (gNB), also known as New Radio (NR). The access network is responsible for transmitting radio waves, which are received...
