The main innovation of the Fifth Generation (5G) of mobile networks is the
ability to provide novel services with new and stricter requirements. One of
the technologies that enable the new 5G services is the Multi-access Edge
Computing (MEC). MEC is a system composed of multiple devices with computing
and storage capabilities that are deployed at the edge of the network, i.e.,
close to the end users. MEC reduces latency and enables contextual information
and real-time awareness of the local environment. MEC also allows cloud
offloading and the reduction of traffic congestion. Performance is not the only
requirement that the new 5G services have. New mission-critical applications
also require high security and dependability. These three aspects (security,
dependability, and performance) are rarely addressed together. This survey
fills this gap and presents 5G MEC by addressing all these three aspects.
First, we overview the background knowledge on MEC by referring to the current
standardization efforts. Second, we individually present each aspect by
introducing the related taxonomy (important for the not expert on the aspect),
the state of the art, and the challenges on 5G MEC. Finally, we discuss the
challenges of jointly addressing the three aspects.Comment: 33 pages, 11 figures, 15 tables. This paper is under review at IEEE
Communications Surveys & Tutorials. Copyright IEEE 202