Dynamic autonomous user plane function (upf) as an over-the-top (ott) application

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

• receiving information that identifies, for each of a plurality of user plane functions (UPFs) that are accessible on a core network of a communications system, a respective capability;
• selecting a particular user plane function (UPF) from among the plurality of UPFs, wherein the selecting is based at least in part upon the information that is received such that the particular UPF is selected as a result of the respective capability matching a minimum operating requirement associated with an application that is installed on the end-user mobile device;
• facilitating formation of a logical tunnel to the particular UPF;
• and
• communicating with the particular UPF via the logical tunnel.

A method comprising:

• obtaining, by a processing system of a mobile device including a processor, location data associated with the mobile device;
• obtaining, by the processing system, application usage data associated with a plurality of applications that are installed on the mobile device, wherein the plurality of applications comprises a first application and a second application, wherein the application usage data comprises first application usage data associated with the first application, and wherein the application usage data comprises second application usage data associated with the second application;
• selecting, by the processing system for the first application, a first user plane function (UPF) from among a plurality of user plane functions (UPFs) that are accessible on a core network of a wireless communications system, wherein the selecting the first UPF is based at least in part upon the location data, the first application usage data, or any first combination thereof;
• selecting, by the processing system for the second application, a second UPF from among the plurality of UPFs that are accessible on the core network of the wireless communications system, wherein the selecting the second UPF is based at least in part upon the location data, the second application usage data, or any second combination thereof;
• facilitating formation of a first logical tunnel from the first application to the first UPF;
• engaging in first communications with the first UPF via the first logical tunnel;
• facilitating formation of a second logical tunnel from the second application to the second UPF;
• and
• engaging in second communications with the second UPF via the second logical tunnel.