Dear Colleagues,

In the last few years, the telecommunications sector has experienced a fast growth of bandwidth-consuming applications, such as videos, to be transported over the Internet. Due to the proliferation and endless availability of increasingly technologically advanced smartphones, end users can benefit from very high quality videos, high definition audio, etc. In addition, innovative applications such as 4K/8K video streaming, 360° augmented/virtual reality, and autonomous driving vehicles have recently appeared and are gaining increasing relevance.

This service evolution has led to a significant increase in the amount of Internet traffic and, at the same time, to the necessity for telecommunications companies (Telcos) to guarantee an acceptable Quality of Experience (QoE) to end users. Telcos must therefore efficiently manage the existing telecommunication networks as well as properly identify the next steps for evolving their infrastructures in order to accommodate the unavoidable traffic increase in the future and still guarantee the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

The Edge Cloud Computing (ECC) paradigm seems to be crucial to guarantee QoE KPIs in the new telecommunication infrastructures by integrating both Ultra-Broadband (UBB) wireless and wired access networks.

ECC is a natural evolution of cloud computing, and it is aimed at moving cloud storage and computing functionalities to the network edge closer to end users, i.e., inside the fixed access POPs and in the virtual Radio Access Network (RAN) sites. The efficient dimensioning and positioning of hardware/software platforms for ECC is one of the most important challenges, especially in terms of achievable network efficiency and of the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).

ECC guarantees the QoE for applications pertaining to several specific vertical sectors, such as entertainment, streaming, gaming, automotive, and Industry 4.0. Finally, the significant improvements due to ECC deployment in the networks attract other stakeholders in the ICT market, such as business and/or technology partners. This renders ECC the enabler for adopting innovative business models in the future.

Potential topics in this Special Issue include, but are not limited to:

• ECC architecture and functionalities;
• ECC-enabled telecommunication infrastructures: design, planning, deployment, and interoperability;
• Operation and Maintenance (O&M);
• Internet-based innovative applications;
• Security issues and management;
• Machine learning and artificial intelligence in ECC;
• Cost models;
• Innovative business models.

Prof. Romeo Giuliano
Prof. Franco Mazzenga
Dr. Alessandro Vizzarri
Guest Editors

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• ultra-broadband networks
• edge cloud computing
• KPI, QoS and QoE
• total cost of ownership
• machine learning and artificial intelligence
• 5G and Beyond 5G