Scope
The Energy_ARCH-MED project (System architecture for application energy consumption information collection and reporting Stage 2) is a 3GPP standardisation work item integrated within Release 20. Led by the 3GPP SA WG4 (Codecs and Multimedia) working group, it instantiates a dedicated energy architecture within the 5G Media Streaming (5GMS) ecosystem.
Summary
The specification defines standard architectural frameworks for a bidirectional exchange of media energy consumption metrics between the network infrastructure and streaming applications.
1. Downlink: Media Energy Consumption Exposure
The 5GMS Application Server (5GMSd AS) and 5GMS Application Function (AF) are designed to calculate and expose specific energy efficiency metrics:
- Streaming Optimisation: The server communicates the energy efficiency profiles of active transport mechanisms (such as standard Unicast versus Multicast/Broadcast Services) and specific codec variations to the client.
- Interfaces (APIs): Service-based management APIs expose these consumption parameters. This enables third-party streaming applications to fetch data-path efficiency values, allowing the application to render “Green Streaming” metrics or dynamically activate application-level eco-modes.
2. Uplink: Application Energy Collection & Reporting
The architecture formalises a structured reporting loop from the user equipment (UE) to the core network components:
- Client Metrics: The 5GMS Media Session Handler tracking device-side streaming metrics aggregates operational energy profiles.
- Consumption Reporting: Standardised reporting pipelines transmit these telemetry profiles back to the Data Collection AF and downstream Network Data Analytics Functions (NWDAF).
- Dynamic Network Tuning: The server utilises these logs to dynamically calibrate heavy network processes – such as tuning packet repair rates within multicast distribution pools – minimising the absolute energy footprint per data volume.
Herein, 5GMS AF uses HTTP-based OpenAPI RESTful interfaces – specifically extending the M1 (Provisioning) and M5 (Media Session Handling) reference points – to expose JSON-formatted energy metrics, while the UE uploads telemetry logs containing variables like average radio link power, codec processing cycles, and display power consumption state using structured HTTP POST reports to the 5GMSd AS. For more details, consult the relevant 3GPP specifications.
Primary 3GPP Documentation & References
The architectural frameworks, data structures, and changes are actively specified across several key 3GPP specifications hosted on the official 3GPP infrastructure:
- 3GPP TS 26.501 (5G Media Streaming Architecture): Implements the explicit structural extensions under the designated change task [Energy_ARCH-MED] Instantiate energy architecture in 5GMS System.
- 3GPP TS 23.367 / TS 23.367 Portal: Houses the direct Stage 2 architecture specification mapping out application energy consumption information collection and reporting criteria.
- 3GPP TS 26.506 (5GMS Object Storage and Delivery): Supplements data container requirements for media-centric optimisation pipelines.
Relevance for EXIGENCE
Comparative Positioning: 3GPP Energy_ARCH-MED vs. Project EXIGENCE
The 3GPP Energy_ARCH-MED framework introduces a service-specific solution confined strictly to the media streaming ecosystem (fetching data from the AF). Because its telemetry and optimisation logic are tightly coupled to media interfaces, it functions as a typical 3GPP-style vertical silo that fails to support alternative workload types like bulk data downloads, AI inference, or future system services. For more information refer to this 3GPP website article and this IEEE ComStdMag paper by EXIGENCE.
In contrast, the EXIGENCE project targets full horizontal applicability across all services within 5G-Advanced and 6G systems. Instead of relying on media-specific application functions, EXIGENCE designs generic service-agnostic mechanisms by extending the Energy Information Function (EIF) – originally standardised in 3GPP TS 23.501 – enabling native energy observability for any network transaction. For more information refer to above mentioned IEEE ComStdMag paper, as well as this presentation to the TMA 2026 conference.
Technically, EXIGENCE advances past 3GPP’s passive, in-session telemetry reporting by enforcing an end-to-end management lifecycle across in-, pre-, and post-session phases. It shifts from passive tracking to active demand-side control through “service variants” (e.g., dynamically adjusting streaming or compute quality parameters to save energy). To offset any loss in user utility, EXIGENCE features an integrated incentivisation engine. By delivering targeted, server-sent benefits or compensation directly to the user, EXIGENCE addresses real-world behavioral economics and SLA compliance – a system-level optimisation layer completely absent from 3GPP’s foundational architectural scope (see also above mentioned IEEE ComStdMag paper).