Korean researchers have succeeded in establishing the world’s first international standard containing service functional criteria in the field of ‘edge computing service’1)Edge Computing Service: A distributed computing technology that processes data immediately at the site where it is generated (the edge), reducing latency and strengthening security, making it an essential technology for smart factories, autonomous driving, IoT, and more., which is drawing attention as a key technology for next-generation digital industries.

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) announced that at the meeting of Study Group 132)Study Group 13: One of the study groups under the Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), responsible for standardization activities related to next-generation communications. under the International Telecommunication Union Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) held in Geneva at the end of February, the international standard 「ITU-T Y.3541」3)「ITU-T Y.3541 “Edge computing - Functional requirements of edge computing service”」: An extended standard that establishes specific functional requirements for edge computing services based on ITU-T Y.3540., which defines the functional requirements of edge computing services, was finally approved.

Edge computing is a technology that processes data immediately near where it is generated, instead of sending it to a distant central server. For example, it processes data immediately near factories, hospitals, and vehicles. By using this technology, data-processing latency can be drastically reduced, allowing it to serve as a key foundational technology in various fields such as autonomous driving, smart factories, real-time video analysis, telemedicine, and artificial intelligence (AI) services.

The newly approved 「ITU-T Y.3541」 is an international standard that, for the first time in the world, systematically organizes the functional requirements needed to build edge computing services. In other words, a ‘standard blueprint’ has been created under which various companies and institutions can develop interoperable edge computing services based on common criteria.

A representative application area is autonomous driving. Processing all of the vast sensor data inside a vehicle leads to a sharp increase in power consumption and costs. However, if this standard is applied, a nearby edge server will perform the complex computations instead and immediately deliver the results to the vehicle. This establishes a structure in which autonomous vehicles can efficiently use high-performance AI services without delay.

ETRI Principal Researcher Kim Daewon and Professor Oh Myeong Hoon of the Department of Computer Engineering at Honam University played key roles in the development of this standard. The two researchers have led the development of related international standards since 2022 while serving as members of the Korean ITU study committee delegation under the Ministry of Science and ICT.

This achievement is especially meaningful in that it advances the existing standard 「ITU-T Y.3540」4)「ITU-T Y.3540 “Edge computing – Overview and high-level requirements”」: A high-level standard defining the concept and structure of edge computing, whose development was led with Principal Researcher Kim Daewon participating as editor., developed by ETRI Principal Researcher Kim Daewon in 2023, to the next level and even includes specific functional specifications needed for actual service implementation.

In addition, at this meeting ETRI researchers also received approval for a development project for a new edge computing recommendation specialized for artificial intelligence (AI) services5)New recommendation regarding edge computing service requirements for AI workloads, 「Y.ecsai-reqts “Edge computing - Functional requirements of edge computing service for AI workload”」: A requirements standard for AI services in edge computing environments based on Y.3541., expanding the scope of next-generation standardization. Through this, they plan to continue leading the formation of a global standard framework in the field of AI-based edge computing.

Kim Daewon, ETRI’s Cloud Computing SW Research Section, said, “This achievement is a case in which research and development results were linked to an international standard, simultaneously securing technological competitiveness and leadership in standards. It is also expected to have a positive impact on the future global market expansion of Korean companies.”

Professor Oh Myeong Hoon of the Department of Computer Engineering at Honam University said, “By continuously accomplishing a series of standardization tasks, from concept definition to actual service functions and AI-powered expansion, we have demonstrated that Korean researchers are leading the global edge computing technology framework.”

This achievement was produced as part of a national R&D project of the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Institute of Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation (IITP), led by ETRI Principal Researcher Kim Sun Wook, titled ‘Development of 5G Edge Computing Software for Flexible Healthcare6)Flexible Healthcare: Refers to a mobile hospital system that provides immediate medical services by assembling and moving hospital facilities like building blocks, mainly in disaster situations, emergencies, or medically underserved areas (such as depopulated regions). to Support Mobile Customized Medical Services.’

This research is developing technologies that can flexibly link and operate medical devices and artificial intelligence software in a mobile hospital environment, and content produced in this process was reflected in the international standard.

Going forward, the researchers plan to establish domestic standards based on this standard and prepare technical guidelines that can be used in industrial settings. They also plan to continuously pursue international standardization activities in the field of edge-computing-based AI services.

Kim Daewon, Principal Researcher
Cloud Computing SW Research Section
(+82-42-860-1624, won22@etri.re.kr)