Motivation and Scope

The intense research work on 5G experimentation in Europe has reached the point where the evolved 5G capabilities, provided through the Service-Based Architecture (SBA), are to be exploited by third party innovators. Key enabler for this openness is the realisation of network programmability through standard APIs. An endeavor that is expected to shape a new and dynamic ecosystem in mobile networks from both the technology and marketing perspectives. Indeed, SBA allows the exposure of network services and capabilities through the Network Exposure Function (NEF), a border function of the 5G core network. Already, 3GPP has specified the procedures and the information flows for a common API framework (CAPIF) to address applicability, duplication and inconsistency aspects of the 5G northbound service APIs. In this context, vertical industries will be able to develop Network Apps, i.e., to compose services by consuming 3GPP APIs (native APIs) as well as other telco assets (referring to business support system – BSS APIs, e.g. service orchestration APIs). For example, a Network App could consume APIs that provide monitoring events and network slice configuration analysis to compose a service that guarantees quality of experience for latency-sensitive applications.

Fig 1. Abstract representation of the EVOLVED 5G approach

Specific Objectives

Objective 1

Upgrade the 5G experimentation potential in Europe, through the design, development, and release of an open 5G experimentation facility that will materialise network programmability and will expose standard 3GPP APIs (currently studied by 3GPP SA6) to enable automated Network App validation tests.

Objective 2

Materialize the openness of 5G to vertical industries by creating a Network App development and verification environment, i.e., a workspace/SDK for third-parties, which will embrace the principles of continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) and adopt the software architecture used for microservices.

Objective 3

Provide the means for enabling the digital market around the Network Apps by designing, developing, releasing and maintain an active marketplace/App store that will incorporate vertical data space interaction (through IDS broker) and store Network Apps that are certified by operator-driven certification tools.

Objective 4

Provide a clear and quantified contribution towards the 5G penetration in smart manufacturing by designing, developing, validating, and publishing innovative Network Apps and multiple applications on top of them that will cover major business use cases for the factories of the future.

Objective 5

Quantify the performance and the flexibility that 5G provides to verticals, though a set of vertical-driven measurement campaigns, which will use standard reference points (e.g., the NWDAF), target critical network metrics and feed data a technoeconomic analysis.

Objective 6

Maximise the technological fingerprint and the business potential expected from the integration of 5G in manufacturing, through targeted actions (trainings, workshops, and hackathons) for building an active community around NeApps development, as well as through an ambitious SME acceleration and engagement program (open access to the facility, mentoring events and business conferences).

Metrics to evaluate the level of achievement for the EVOLVED-5G objectives

Specific Objective Metric to evaluate the achievement of the objective Targeted values & other means of verification
Obj1: Upgrade the 5G experimentation potential in Europe
  • Number of completed validations conducted in the EVOLVED-5G facility
  • Number of contributions to related standards and 5G PPP activities
  • Release and acceptance of the refence architecture that the facility implements
  • Number of publications in related fields such as 5G exposure capabilities and 5G-TSN integration for smart manufacturing
  • > 20 successful validations with analytical assessment results
  • ≥ 3 impactful inputs to regulation and standardisation bodies
    ≥ 3 Contributions to 5G PPP Roadmaps and white papers
  • Early release before M10
    Acceptance level ≥2
    (Level 1: Acceptance at academia level, through related publications; Level 2: Acceptance in 5GPPP; Level 3: Impact at standardisation level)
  • >10 publications in white papers and scientific journals on that topic
Obj2: Materialize the openness of 5G to vertical industries by creating a Network App development and verification environment (SDK)
  • Number of engaged third party developers and entrepreneurs
  • Templates for verification tests
  • Timing of SDK release and openness
  • Continues evolvement and maintenance of the workspace
  • Number of related events organized successfully
  • >250 developers and entrepreneurs
  • One template per test type that the workspace supports
  • First release month < M15
  • > 4 years lifetime
  • > 10 large events for developers and start ups
Obj3: Provide the means for enabling the digital market around the Network Apps
  • Production of documentation with standard procedures and reference implementations
  • Number of third party (outside the project) Network Apps that complete the certification process
  • Availability of measurements at both Network App verification level and end-to-end validation procedures
  • Successful release of certified Network Apps in the Market place
  • 2 releases of documentation for the procedures, with the first one in the middle of the project lifetime
  • > 8 third party Network Apps
  • Apply all the reports related to validations and experimentation results in Zenodo platform with open access
  • > 16 certified Network Apps in the EVOLVED-5G Marketplace
Obj4: Provide a clear and quantified contribution towards the 5G penetration in manufacturing
  • Availability of automated tests per target FoF pillar
  • Number of developed and verified Network Apps
  • Risk analysis and security assessments for FoF infrastructure
  • Quality and validity of the reported content
  • > 16 certified Network Apps in the EVOLVED-5G Marketplace
  • >2 test cases per pillar
  • > 16 verified Network Apps in EVOLVED-5G open repository
  • >2 related publications
    >2 validated Network Apps in the related FoF pillar
Obj4: Provide a clear and quantified contribution towards the 5G penetration in manufacturing
  • Availability of automated tests per target FoF pillar
  • Number of developed and verified Network Apps
  • Risk analysis and security assessments for FoF infrastructure
  • Quality and validity of the reported content
  • >2 test cases per pillar
  • > 16 certified Network Apps in the EVOLVED-5G Marketplace
  • >2 related publications
    >2 validated Network Apps in the related FoF pillar
  • Apply quality related quality assurance measures.
    Clear portfolios of features available for each targeted FoF pillar
Obj5: Quantify the performance and the flexibility that 5G provides to verticals
  • Release and acceptance of a validation methodology that will be adopted by third parties
  • Achievement of target 5GPPP KPIs (common for all the Network Apps)
  • Release month < M15 Adoptions from >4 other projects
    Proven usage from >10 third parties
  • Service creation time (target values:<2min
    Latency (target value: 1-10ms)
    QoE (measurements for at least the Network App of the first FoF pillar of the project)
Obj6: Maximise the technological fingerprint and the business potential from the expected integration of 5G in manufacturing
  • Number of novel value chains defined
  • Assessment with quantitative metrics of the 5G added-value and commercialization/business potential in 5-year plan (ROI, IRR)
  • Successful establishment of the SME/startups engagement program
  • >2 novel value chains will be defined in the EVOLVED-5G project
  • ROI: >10%, IRR: > 7% as threshold values for the technoeconomic analysis
  • >75 new SMEs/start-ups to enrol in the development/mentoring/training programme