Weighted MEC selection for application-based MEC traffic steering

A network device, comprising:

• a communication interface to receive a tracking area identifier (TAI) associated with a location of a user equipment device (UE) in a mobile network and a latency requirement associated with a data session involving the UE;
• and
• one or more processors or logic to:
• retrieve from a database, based on the TAI associated with the UE and the latency requirement, Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) selection weight values, associated with multiple MEC platforms, generated by applying a function to multiple items of data of each MEC profile associated with each MEC platform of the multiple MEC platforms, wherein the items of data of each MEC profile comprises:
• first data identifying a Data Network Access Identifier (DNAI) for the MEC platform,
• second data identifying an owner or operator associated with the MEC platform,
• third data comprising a latency value associated with the MEC platform,
• fourth data identifying Tracking Area Identifiers (TAIs) serviced by the MEC platform, and
• fifth data identifying a current status of the MEC platform,
• select a MEC platform, from among the multiple MEC platforms, based on the retrieved MEC selection weight values, and
• cause the data session to be established between the selected MEC platform and the UE.

A non-transitory storage medium storing instructions executable by a network device, wherein the instructions comprise instructions to cause the network device to:

• receive a tracking area identifier (TAI) associated with a location of a user equipment device (UE) in a mobile network and a latency requirement associated with a data session involving the UE;
• retrieve from a database, based on the TAI associated with the UE and the latency requirement, Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) selection weight values, associated with multiple MEC platforms, generated by applying a function to multiple items of data of each MEC profile associated with each MEC platform of the multiple MEC platforms, wherein the items of data of each MEC profile comprises:
• first data identifying a Data Network Access Identifier (DNAI) for the MEC platform,
• second data identifying an owner or operator associated with the MEC platform,
• third data comprising a latency value associated with the MEC platform,
• fourth data identifying Tracking Area Identifiers (TAIs) serviced by the MEC platform, and
• fifth data identifying a current status of the MEC platform;
• select a MEC platform, from among the multiple MEC platforms, based on the retrieved MEC selection weight values;
• and
• cause the data session to be established between the selected MEC platform and the UE.