Fog computing in 5G enabled smart cities: Conceptual framework, overview and challenges

Fog computing (alternatively known as Edge computing) is a new paradigm that can be used near mobile devices to perform computational tasks effectively and efficiently. There can be many possible computational models for mobile devices using fog computing to get the tasks done. A smart city is a framework where mobile devices such as smartphones, smart wearable devices, mobile computing devices and many more communicate with each other, with neighboring devices and with other infrastructure such as wireless access points deployed in the city to use services and facilities provided within the smart city. A key requirement of any smart city is the availability of a seamless, reliable, secure broadband wireless network to support the services provided by the municipalities as well as other commercial service providers. An example of such potential wireless networks is new 5G technology that is being tested currently and will be available commercially in the near future. The objective of a smart city is to provide excellent quality of life to its residents using such new technologies through sustainable means. In this paper, we address the research question that what will be the role of fog computing in a smart city where 5G enabled wireless technology is used. We present a conceptual model called Smart-City-Fog model and describe its functionalities in the context of smart cities.