PCF and policy control architecture

PCF — The Brain of 5G Policy

The Policy Control Function is the central policy decision point in the 5G core, replacing 4G's PCRF with a cloud-native, service-based design. PCF connects to multiple network functions through well-defined interfaces. It communicates with the AMF via N15 for Access and Mobility policies, with the SMF via N7 for Session Management policies containing PCC rules, with Application Functions via N5 to receive application-level requirements, and with the UDR via Nudr to retrieve subscriber policy profiles. BSF provides PCF binding discovery, and NEF exposes policy capabilities to external…