Fog Computing as an Enabler for Immersive Media: Service Scenarios and Research Opportunities

Abstract

Immersive media services, such as augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR),a 360-degree video, and free-viewpoint video (FVV), are popular today. They require massive data storage, ultrahigh computing power, and ultralow latency. It is hard to fulfill these requirements simultaneously in a conventional communication system using a cloud/centralized radio access network (C-RAN). Specifically, due to centralized processing in such a system, the end-to-end latency, as well as the burden on the fronthaul network, are expected to be high. Fog computing-based radio access networks (F-RAN), in contrast, have been widely considered as an enabler for immersive media. Our contribution in this paper is threefold: First, we propose various service scenarios reflecting the characteristics of immersive media. Second, we identify the technologies that are required to support the proposed service scenarios under F-RAN and discuss how they can support the proposed scenarios efficiently. Third, we discuss possible research opportunities.

Keywords

• Fog computing
• radio access networks
• immersive media
• free-viewpoint video
• 360-degree video
• virtual reality