LAUSR

Emerging 5G systems will feature a closer collaboration between mobile network operators and cloud service providers to meet the communication and computational requirements of modern mobile applications and services in a mobile cloud computing (MCC) environment. In this article, we show how the marriage between heterogeneous wireless networks (HetNets) and multiple clouds (a collection of which is referred to here as Intercloud) stands out as an effective response for the mobile data deluge. First, we review the building blocks of a HetNet and an Intercloud as well as the resource management entities in both domains. Second, we outline how they might be orchestrated to better support the task offloading process. Third, we identify the key design criteria and challenges related to interoperation between an Intercloud and a HetNet. We then formulate a revenue sharing approach for a coalition between a mobile network operator and cloud service providers. The approach achieves the maximum revenue for the coalition by optimally associating the users to the clouds through the base stations. Next, the concept of Shapley value is applied to individualize the contribution of each player based on the maximum revenue for the optimal user association. Numerical results illustrate the benefits of the coalition for all players.