5G LAN (5G Local Area Network service)

Also known as: 5G Virtual Network, 5G VN group

5G LAN is a 3GPP Release 16 service that lets a group of UEs communicate as if they were on the same private LAN, with direct UE-to-UE forwarding through the UPF, Ethernet or IP PDU sessions, group membership managed by the PCF and 5G LAN-VN identifiers. It is a building block for private 5G deployments that need to replace or extend enterprise Ethernet.

Categories: Core NetworkProtocols and Standards

5G LAN in context

The mobile core is where subscriber sessions, mobility and policy live. In 4G it is the EPC (MME, HSS, S/PGW); in 5G it is the Service-Based Architecture with AMF, SMF, UPF, AUSF, UDM and the NRF. Core exposure is the difference between a single-subscriber leak and a fleet-wide breach.

Telecom security is written into standards from 3GPP, GSMA, ETSI, IETF and ITU-T. Understanding which body owns which specification, and how the specs interlock (for example 3GPP TS 33.501 with GSMA FS.34 for 5G SBA security), is essential for both design and audit work.

To place 5G LAN in the wider telecom-security picture, review Network Slice, ETSI ISG NFV, EIR, OpenSSL, SM and AF.

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