Hierarchical and intelligent distributed controllers for an access network

A non-transitory, machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:

• selecting a first edge device of a communication network to provide a first part of a service to a user equipment that is subscribed to the service;
• establishing a communication session between the first edge device and the user equipment in accordance with a first access technology to facilitate a transfer of first data associated with the first part of the service to the user equipment, wherein the first access technology comprises cellular network access technology;
• determining that at least one parameter associated with the communication session falls below a threshold;
• identifying an application executed by the user equipment in accordance with the service;
• identifying a quality of service associated with the application;
• and
• responsive to the determining that the at least one parameter associated with the communication session falls below the threshold, handing-over the communication session to a second edge device to facilitate a transfer of second data associated with a second part of the service to the user equipment, wherein the second edge device utilizes a second access technology to facilitate the transfer of the second data, and wherein the second access technology is different from the first access technology, wherein the handing-over of the communication session to the second edge device comprises filtering the second data according to the quality of service associated with the application.

A method comprising:

• identifying, by a processing system including a processor, an application executed by a communication device in accordance with a service;
• identifying, by the processing system, a first edge device of a communication network capable of providing a first portion of the service in accordance with a first access technology and a second edge device of the communication network capable of providing the first portion of the service in accordance with a second access technology that is different from the first access technology;
• selecting, by the processing system, one of the first edge device as a first selected edge device, wherein the selecting of the first selected edge device is based on the identifying of the application;
• establishing, by the processing system, a communication session between the first selected edge device and the communication device in accordance with the first access technology of the first selected edge device to facilitate a transfer of first data associated with the first portion of the service from the first selected edge device to the communication device, wherein the first access technology comprises cellular network access technology;
• determining, by the processing system, that at least one parameter associated with the communication session falls below a threshold resulting in a determination;
• identifying, by the processing system, a quality of service associated with the application;
• responsive to the determination, selecting, by the processing system, the second edge device as a second selection edge device;
• and
• handing-over, by the processing system, the communication session to the second selected edge device to facilitate a transfer of second data associated with a second part of the service to the communication device, wherein the second edge device utilizes the second access technology to facilitate the transfer of the second data, wherein the second access technology comprises WiFi access technology, wherein the handing-over of the communication session to the second edge device comprises filtering, by the processing system, the second data according to the quality of service associated with the application.