Edge Computing and Network Softwarization for the Internet of Healthcare Things

The Fifth-Generation Mobile Networks (5G) contribute to the growth of mobile applications and services and the increase of connected Internet of Things (IoT) devices by providing an infrastructure for upcoming necessities. One of the crucial scenarios in 5G and IoT is the Internet of Healthcare Things (IoHT), where many unexplored services emerge to improve the patient’s quality of life. However, there are challenges for infrastructure requirements to support data traffic growth while promoting a reduction in energy usage. Edge Computing (EC) and Network Slicing (NS) are two supporting paradigms for data-intensive and low-latency applications that enable the host of virtualized resources in 5G. However, the arrangement of computing resources in different levels and nodes is a critical challenge, followed by constraints, requirements, and performance goals. Furthermore, since IoHT applications present demanding necessities regarding latency and throughput, such as high-quality video streaming, virtual and augmented reality, computer vision, and intelligent signal processing, the adoption of application placement strategies is essential to improve the performance of these services. This chapter presents a review of EC and NS in the context of IoHT for 5G.