Integration of 5G with edge computing and federated cloud facilities

The CSA is expected to enable new synergies across the digital value chain, in particular the integration of 5G and Gigabit network deployment with cloud-to-edge solutions, and help creating new and innovative business models for the European telecom and IT sectors, as well as vertical sectors including automotive, rail, transport and logistics, as well as for local communities.

The main objective of this CSA is to accelerate the development of edge computing solutions as part of 5G corridors and 5G local communities and to ensure an integrated approach with the development of European federated cloud and edge infrastructures funded under CEF Digital and Digital Europe.

The objective is to develop - in cooperation with different stakeholder communities and various ongoing projects in the relevant deployment programmes - concepts and facilities for: (1) the interconnection of newly deployed 5G corridor sections and 5G infrastructure for local communities with edge computing facilities and federated cloud infrastructures; (2) relevant operational service platforms that enable the provision of CAM and commercial 5G connectivity services; and (3) the support of services of general interest in local communities.

Furthermore, the objective is to accompany CEF-funded 5G deployment projects during their edge node deployment and service platform integration phase in order to adopt the common concepts developed.

The CSA should gather and consolidate information on the various planned actions under European and national programmes as well as the main private sector initiatives in the field and raise awareness to the stakeholders involved in the various relevant ongoing or future projects.

Based on this information it should – in close cooperation with stakeholders - deliver principles and network architecture concepts for connecting 5G infrastructures along transport corridors and 5G local communities to the edge node and federated cloud infrastructure with the aims (i) to meet service requirements for connected and automated mobility, in particular the stringent requirements for road safety and digital train operations, (ii) and to generate economic efficiencies, whereby the overall 5G-edge-cloud platform would serve the vertical needs of various communities and sectors, in particular mobility and socio-economic drivers.

Once the concepts are agreed, the CSA should accompany the ongoing CEF-funded 5G Corridor and Community projects to deploy and integrate the solutions in the later phase of these deployment projects.

The CSA should also monitor and report on the planned, ongoing and completed deployment of edge nodes with these projects and facilitate reporting in the European 5G Observatory.

The following activities are in the scope of this CSA:

1. Desk research and stakeholder outreach to gather and report on comprehensive information on ongoing relevant activities in the area of European federated cloud infrastructures.
2. Identification and definition of use cases in the areas of connected and automated mobility and 5G communities covering several sectors whose provision will be enabled by integrated 5G-edge-cloud infrastructure.
3. Gather requirements for business continuity across the border meeting CAM service requirements.
4. Definition of functional and operational network architectures enabling the provision of the selected use cases and building on European federated cloud infrastructures and other relevant initiatives.
5. Proof of concept, tests and pilots in cooperation with selected CEF-funded 5G deployment projects
6. Outreach, engagement and advisory services for 5G Corridor (all ongoing CEF-funded projects) and Community (at least 10 CEF-funded projects) to integrate the developed solutions.

For all the proposals submitted under this topic, to be eligible, all participating legal entities must provide security guarantees approved by the Member State in which they are established, on the basis of national law. The approval can be provided in the context of Art 11.6 of the CEF Regulation 2021/1153.

These guarantees will certify that the legal entity:

a) Exercises full control over its corporate structure and decision-making process in a manner that does not restrain or restrict in any way its ability to perform and complete the action and is not subject to foreign jurisdiction obligations that may
undermine the security of the Union;

b) Effectively prevents access by non-eligible third countries or by non-eligible third country entities to classified and non-classified sensitive information relating to the action; and

c) Ensures that the results of the CEF funded action shall remain within the beneficiary/beneficiaries and shall not be subject to control or restrictions by non-eligible third countries or other non-eligible third country entities during the action and for a specified period after its completion, as defined in this call conditions.