5GCoreNetze

5GCoreNetze refers to the core networks that underpin 5G communication systems. They form the central part of the 5G system and handle signaling, session management, policy control, authentication, and data routing. Compared with the Evolved Packet Core used in 4G, the 5G core is designed to be cloud-native, modular, and capable of supporting diverse services through flexible network slicing.

The architecture of the 5G Core is built around a service-based approach in which network functions interact over standardized interfaces. The core functions include the Access and Mobility Function (AMF) for registration and mobility management, the Session Management Function (SMF) for session contexts, and the User Plane Function (UPF) for user data routing. Policy and charging concerns are handled by the Policy Control Function (PCF); authentication by the Authentication Server Function (AUSF) with subscriber data managed by the Unified Data Management (UDM) and Unified Data Repository (UDR). Service exposure and discovery are provided by the Network Exposure Function (NEF) and the Network Repository Function (NRF), while the Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) enables slice-aware routing, and the Application Function (AF) interfaces with applications and services. Security-related capabilities include AUSF and related edge security functions (SEF) where applicable.

Key capabilities of 5G Core networks include support for network slicing to allocate resources to different use cases, low-latency and high-throughput service delivery, edge computing integration, and cloud-native deployment using microservices. Deployments can be standalone (SA) to enable full 5G capabilities or integrated with legacy networks for transition, and they rely on virtualization or containerization for scalability and resilience. Standardization and ongoing evolution are driven by 3GPP releases, with broad industry adoption and interoperability requirements.